Light-dependent Elongation of Anaerobically Maintained Green Pea Stem Segments and Its Implications

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Anaerobic conditions reversibly inhibit the elongation of isolated green pea (Pisum sativum L. cv ''Alaska'') stem segments. Illumination of segments maintained under anoxia causes a resumption of growth. Polarographic studies show pea stem segments are photosynthetically competent as determined by O2 evolution. Although O2 production is totally inhibited by dichlorophenyldimethylurea (DCMU) and dinitrophenol (DNP) inhibits O2-dependent growth, neither DCMU nor DNP completely abolishes light-dependent growth, although both reduce the effect markedly. Phenazine methosulfate promotes the growth of anaerobically maintained, illuminated, DCMU-treated segments. The data indicated that the principal effect of light in inducing growth under anaeorbic conditions is the photosynthetic provision of O2 for respiration. There is also evidence that, at least in the absence of O2, a small amount of elongation is due to some other light-driven process, perhaps cyclic photophosphorylation.