Effect of White and Red Light on the Pigment Content and Functional Activity in Pine Chloroplasts

The pigment content and rates of primary photosynthetic reactions were determined in chloroplasts of 14-day-old pine (Pinus silvestris L.) seedlings grown in light and darkness. In addition, the functional activities were investigated in chloroplasts from dark-grown seedlings exposed to white, red ( = 670 nm), and red + far-red ( = 748 nm) light. Dark-grown seedlings were capable of performing the Hill reaction, noncyclic photophosphorylation, and phenazine methosulfate–supported photophosphorylation, although the reaction rates in chloroplasts from dark-grown plants were considerably lower than in preparations from light-grown plants. Light treatment of dark-grown seedlings rapidly activated the photoreduction of ferricyanide and photophosphorylation, while the additional accumulation of green pigments started only after a lag period of two hours. Preirradiation of dark-grown seedlings with red light stimulated the formation of pigments, especially chlorophyll b, as well as the functional activity of chloroplasts. When far-red light was applied after red-light exposure, the processes examined were inhibited. It is concluded that accumulation of the light-harvesting complex and functional activities of chloroplasts at the photosystem II level in pine seedlings are controlled by the phytochrome.