Action Spectrum for Light-induced Chloroplast Accumulation in a Marine Coenocytic Green Alga, Bryopsis plumosa

A marine coenocytic green alga, Bryopsis plumosa exhibited multistriatetype protoplasmic streaming of a velocity less than 100 µm.min^–1.When the alga was illuminated locally, chloroplasts and othercell organelles accumulated in the illuminated zone. The actionspectrum for this reaction showed that blue light between 380and 500 nm was most effective. The velocity of chloroplast movement decreased when the cellwas totally illuminated with blue light, but no comparable changewas observed under red light illumination. Therefore, chloroplastaccumulation probably was caused by the reduced streaming ratein the illuminated zone. Electron microscopy showed cytoplasmic microtubules arrangedparallel to the cell axis in the vicinity of the chloroplasts.Chloroplast movement was inhibited heavily by treatment withantimicrotubule agents, but was little affected by cytochalasinB at a concentration of 10 µg/ml. (Received May 30, 1981; Accepted August 24, 1981)