N-labeled ammonium nitrogen uptake and physiological responses of poplar exposed to PM particles.

Air pollution caused by particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM) is a serious environmental problem. Plants can improve air quality by removing PM from the atmosphere. However, direct evidence of PM absorption and assimilation into plants has not yet been found. In this study, we demonstrate that NH in PM was absorbed by poplar leaves in low and high PM treatment groups (namely, LPT and HPT). Then, N was subsequently transferred to other parts of the treated seedlings as shown by N tracing and simulated PM generation. N and total N contents were the highest in high pollution treatment (HPT), followed by that in low pollution treatment (LPT) and the control. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) contributed more to NH assimilation than glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase in the leaves of treated seedlings. GDH aminating activity was induced upon NH exposure whereas GDH deaminating activity was repressed in both LPT and HPT, suggesting that poplar seedlings can alleviate NH toxicity by enhancing NH assimilation. At the end of PM treatment period, the decreased amino acid content in the treated seedlings was attributed to the probably altered balance of amino acid metabolism. The decline in the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) was accompanied by the decrease in the stomatal conductance in poplar leaves with the extension of PM treatment time, indicating that stomatal limitation is a major reason for Pn reduction. This study may provide novel insights into the relationship between PM pollution and plants.