The inhibition of kohlrabi chloroplast degeneration by kinetin

Summary Detached kohlrabi leaves of late autumn material yellowed completely after 6 days in weak light. This process was accompanied by a decrease in chlorophyll, protein, and ribonucleic acid levels. In the chloroplasts, degeneration symptoms such as reduction in chloroplast volume, the decay of grana, development of the long thylakoid system, disappearance of chloroplast ribosomes, increase in the volume of plastoglobuli, and finally a complete breakdown of plastids in the digesting vacuoles, were observed. The ultrastructural changes in degenerating kohlrabi chloroplasts resembled those described earlier for brussels sprouts (Dennis et al. 1967), which suggests that the plastid degeneration model may be specific for speciesBrassica oleracea L.Kinetin inhibited the fall in the level of chlorophyll, proteins, and RNA in relation to the control material, and even stimulated chlorophyll and protein synthesis to a level higher than that of the initial material. Treatment with kinetin also markedly delayed the loss of chloroplast ribosomes. The most evident effect of the kinetin influence on the plastid ultrastructure was the stimulation of the formation and maintenance of grana. A possible mechanism for these processes in the light of the recent studies on the chloroplast membranes is discussed.