On the 13C/12C isotopic signal of day and night respiration at the mesocosm level

While there is currently intense effort to examine the ¹³C signal of CO₂ evolved in the dark, less is known on the isotope composition of day‐respired CO₂. This lack of knowledge stems from technical difficulties to measure the pure respiratory isotopic signal: day respiration is mixed up with photorespiration, and there is no obvious way to separate photosynthetic fractionation (pure c_i/c_a effect) from respiratory effect (production of CO₂ with a different δ¹³C value from that of net‐fixed CO₂) at the ecosystem level. Here, we took advantage of new simple equations, and applied them to sunflower canopies grown under low and high [CO₂]. We show that whole mesocosm‐respired CO₂ is slightly ¹³C depleted in the light at the mesocosm level (by 0.2–0.8‰), while it is slightly ¹³C enriched in darkness (by 1.5–3.2‰). The turnover of the respiratory carbon pool after labelling appears similar in the light and in the dark, and accordingly, a hierarchical clustering analysis shows a close correlation between the ¹³C abundance in day‐ and night‐evolved CO₂. We conclude that the carbon source for respiration is similar in the dark and in the light, but the metabolic pathways associated with CO₂ production may change, thereby explaining the different ¹²C/¹³C respiratory fractionations in the light and in the dark.     

Chlorophyll b accumulation and grana formation in low intensities of red light

Abstract When dark grown leaves of wheat (Triticum aesivum L.) were given a brief irradiation, there was an immediate onset of chlorophyll (Chl) b synthesis in the dark. This synthesis led to a rather slow accumulation of Chl b, which ceased when the Chl b/Chl a ratio had reached a value of about 0.1. The Chl b synthesis occurred also when the seedlings were treated with the herbicide SAN 9789. Leaves grown under different intensities of red light accumulated Chl b and Chl a, resulting in a ratio Chl b/Chl a which depended on the light intensity. If the light intensity was low, Chl a accumulated to a level about ten times the level of PChlide of the dark grown leaves. This occurred without any increase in the Chl b/Chl a ratio. There was no difference between SAN 9789-treated seedlings and water controls in this respect. Above a certain threshold of irradiance, the Chl b/Chl a ratio in the control leaves increased rapidly with the irradiation intensity. The increase in Chl b/Chl a ratio coincided with formation of grana in the plastids. This increase was not found and grana formation was completely absent in the seedlings treated with SAN 9789. The possibility of two different stages in the Chl b synthesis is discussed.     

THE EFFECT OF MALEIC HYDRAZIDE ON THE GROWTH RESPONSE OF PLANTS TO GIBBERELLIC ACID

Maleic hydrazide (MH) and gibberellic acid (GA) were applied alone and in combination at various doses to dwarf and tall varieties of garden pea, and their effect on stem extension measured. Combinations of MH and 3-indolylacetic acid (IAA) were also studied. Stern extension of dwarf peas was accelerated by GA and inhibited by MH. Their effects were not additive, since MH reduced the response to GA at all concentrations of each tested. IAA did not affect stem extension, whether applied alone or in combination with MH. Stem extensions of tall peas was not affected by GA or IAA alone. MH severely inhibited growth and this inhibition was not reduced either by GA or by IAA. At low doses MH broke apical dominance and side branches developed; extension of these was stimulated by GA and IAA and extension of the main axis correspondingly still further reduced. The results show that MH prevents the response to GA of GA-sensitive plants. It is suggested that the rapid growth of tall peas, as compared with that of dwarfs, and their lack of response to GA, are due to a greater capacity to synthesize a 'GA-like hormone'. Growth of tall peas is much more drastically inhibited by MH than that of dwarf peas and the suggestion is made that the inhibition of shoot growth induced by MH is due primarily to blocking the activity of the postulated 'GA-like hormone'.     

Inhibition of Etiolation in Spirogyra by Phytochrome

Cells of Spirogyra filaments grown in darkness become longer than light grown cells. This elongation can be prevented by a few minutes of red light given with intervals of 24 h under the dark period. Far-red light given after the red light pulse counteracts the red light effect. Cells which have finished their elongation in light do not elongate further in darkness. Along with the cell elongation the chloroplasts become less spirally wound and ultimately shortened to straight bands.     

The Spectral Response of Light Dependent Chlorophyll b Formation

Dark grown seedlings of barley will obtain a high ratio chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b when exposed to intermittent light (1 min of incandescent light or one electronic flash every hour). Such material has been exposed to monochromatic light of different wavelengths for 1 h. The ratio a/b gets a minimum in light of 670 nm, indicating the highest rate of chlorophyll b formation at this wavelength. The possibility is discussed that the light absorber (and also precursor) could be a short-lived chlorophyll a form, existing prior to the forms in the Shibata-shift. Chlorophyll b formation in darkness is discussed from the findings that the rate of formation of chlorophyll b is higher in intermittent light than it should be, calculated from the rate in continuous light, where the saturation intensity is rather low.