Effect of Salicylic Acid on Chlorophyll and Carotenoid Contents of Wheat and Moong Seedlings

With the increase in concentration of applied salicylic acid (SA), chlorophyll (Chl) content decreased significantly in both wheat and moong seedlings. Chl a/b ratio decreased significantly only in wheat and remained constant in moong. On the other hand, total carotenoid (Car) content, size of xanthophyll pool, and de-epoxidation rate increased significantly with an increase in SA concentration in both plant species. Hence SA treatment may induce Car biosynthesis in these plant species, but the increase in the xanthophyll pool and de-epoxidation rate indicates that SA may create oxidative stress the degree of which is different in various plants. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Great promoting effect of high irradiance from germination on flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana — a process of photo-acclimation

Arabidopsis thaliana L., ch1-1 (chlorophyll b-less mutant), gi-1 (GI deficient mutant), cry2-1 (blue-light-photoreceptor CRY2 deficient mutant), and Columbia (Col; wild ecotype) were grown under broad range of irradiances (I) from the beginning of germination and the effect of I on the survival, development, and flowering was studied. Under low and moderate I (<300 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹), flowering time and plant size at flowering showed great variations among ch1-1, gi-1, cry2-1, and Col, whereas under higher I (>500 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹), these characteristics were almost the same. Hence under high I, development and flowering of ch1-1, gi-1, cry2-1, and Col converged to almost the same state. Flowering time was negatively correlated with I, and under high I acclimation in A. thaliana was associated with a decrease in chlorophyll (Chl) content and increases in xanthophyll cycle pool and membrane-bound APX activity (EC 1.11.1.11) suggesting that an increase in oxidative stress induces earlier flowering. The plants of gi-1 and cry2-1 survived but Col and ch1-1 died under 1 000 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, showing that mutants deficient in GI or CRY2 are more photo-stress-tolerant than Col and the Chl b-less mutant. Hence high I promotes in plants of Arabidopsis raised from germination till flowering the development and flowering time involving modulation of the photosynthetic apparatus, and this promoting effect is independent of the functions of flower-inducing GI or CRY2 gene. This can be regarded as photo-acclimation of A. thaliana for survival and reproduction under high I.