| Abstract: | A cell culture of Chenopodium album was cultivated under differentlight conditions (UV, blue, white, red light, and darkness).Red-violet coloured betacyanin-containing cell groups were formedon the surface of the cell culture only under UV-light or UV-containinglight qualities (blue and white), respectively. A direct correlationexists between UV-portions of different light qualities andthe number of red-violet cell groups formed, whereas light conditionswithout UV-light do not induce betacyanin formation. Betacyaninsformed under UV-light were degraded after transfer to red lightand darkness. The phytohormone kinetin enhanced the betacyaninformation in white light, but was unable to induce betacyaninsin darkness. The phytohormone 2, 4-D totally inhibited the formationof betacyanins under all light conditions studied. All otherinvestigated parameters of primary and secondary metabolismof the cells (protein content, respiration activity, concentrationof carotenoids and flavonoids) only unspecifically increasedin reaction to continuous UV-light irradiation. A selected yellowcoloured cell strain autotroph to auxin was unable to form betacyaninunder continuous UV-light irradiation and under increased kinetinconcentration. Key words: Betacyanins, cell culture, phytohormones, secondary product formation, UV-light |
