ARTICLE

MACROMOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY OF PLASTIDS : VIII. Pigment and Membrane Formation in Plastids of Barley Greening under Low Light Intensity

K. W. Henningsen ¹ and J. E. Boynton ¹

¹ From the Institute of Genetics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1353, Denmark.

Dr. Boynton's present address is Department of Botany, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27706

Sequential changes occurring in the etioplasts of the primary leaf of 7-day-old dark-grown barley seedlings upon continuous illumination with 20 lux have been investigated by electron microscopy, in vivo spectrophotometry, and thin-layer chromatography. Following photoconversion of the protochlorophyllide pigment to chlorophyllide and the structural transformation of the crystalline prolamellar bodies, the tubules of the prolamellar bodies are dispersed into the primary lamellar layers. As both chlorophyll a and b accumulate, extensive formation of grana takes place. After 4 hr of greening, protochlorophyllide starts to reaccumulate, and concomitantly both large and small crystalline prolamellar bodies are formed. This protochlorophyllide is rapidly photoconverted upon exposure of the leaves to high light intensity, which also effects a rapid reorganization of the recrystallized prolamellar bodies into primary lamellar layers.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Abdelkader, A. F., Aronsson, H., Solymosi, K., Boddi, B., Sundqvist, C. (2007). High salt stress induces swollen prothylakoids in dark-grown wheat and alters both prolamellar body transformation and reformation after irradiation. J Exp Bot 58: 2553-2564 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents