Skip to main content
Log in

Are carotenoids the blue-light photoreceptor in the photoinduction of protoperithecia in Neurospora crassa?

  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A triple albino mutant of Neurospora crassa with a measured content of carotenoids absorbing at 470 nm less than 0.5% of that of the wild type (calculated value less than 8·10-4%) had the same threshold for photoinduction of protoperithecia as the wild type when illuminated with monochromatic light at 471 nm. This is strong evidence against the hypothesis that the bulk of carotenoids are the blue-light photoreceptor for this phenomenon. However, it is impossible to exclude traces of carotenoids acting as the photoreceptor at less than 3·10-12 M in a very efficient sensory transduction chain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

A:

absorbance

al:

albino mutant

WT:

wild type

References

  • Bergman, K., Burke, P.V., Cerda-Olmedo, E., David, C.N., Delbrück, M., Dennison, D.S., Foster, K.W., Goodell, E.W., Heisenberg, M., Meissner, G., Zalokar, M., Shropshire, W., Jr. (1969) Phycomyces. Bacteriol. Rev. 33, 99–157

    Google Scholar 

  • De Fabo, E.C. (1980) On the nature of the blue light photoreceptor: still an open question. In: The blue light syndrome, pp. 187–197, Senger, H., ed. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • De Fabo, E.C., Harding, R.W., Shropshire, W., Jr. (1976) Action spectrum between 260 and 800 nanometers for the photoinduction of carotenoid biosynthesis in Neurospora crassa. Plant Physiol. 57, 440–445

    Google Scholar 

  • Degli-Innocenti, F., Pohl, U., Russo, V.E.A. (1983) Photoinduction of protoperithecia in Neurospora crassa by blue light. Photochem. Photobiol. 37, 49–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Degli-Innocenti, F., Russo, V.E.A. (1984a) Isolation of new white collar mutants of Neurospora crassa and studies on their behavior in the blue light-induced formation of protoperithecia. J. Bacteriol. 159, 757–761

    Google Scholar 

  • Degli-Innocenti, F., Russo, V.E.A. (1984b) Genetic analysis of blue light-induced responses in Neurospora crassa. In: Blue light effects in biological systems, pp. 213–219, Senger, H., ed. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Drumm-Herrel, H., Mohr, H. (1982) Effect of blue/UV light on anthocyanin synthesis in tomato seedlings in the absence of bulk carotenoids. Photochem. Photobiol. 36, 229–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghisla, S., Mayhew, G. (1976) Identification and properties of 8-hydroxyflavin-adenine dinucleotide in electron-trausferring flavoprotein from Peptostreptococcus elsdenii. Eur J. Biochem. 63, 373–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, T.W. (1976) Chemistry and biochemistry of plant pigments. Academic Press, London New York San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Maniatis, T., Fritsch, E.F., Sambrook, J. (1982) Molecular clonings. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor

    Google Scholar 

  • Margraf, W. (1984) Orange/yellow pigments in the basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex. Fr.) Kummer. In: Blue light effects in biological systems, pp. 55–59, Senger, H., ed. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pohl, U., Russo, V.E.A. (1984) Phototropism. In: Membranes and sensory transduction, pp. 231–329, Colombetti, C., Lenci, F., eds. Plenum, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Presti, D., Delbrück, M. (1978) Photoreceptors for biosynthesis, energy storage and vision. Plant Cell Environ. 1, 81–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Presti, D., Hsu, W.J., Delbrück, M. (1977) Phototropism in Phycomyces mutants lacking β-carotene. Photochem. Photobiol. 249, 2164–2167

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, W. (1980) Physiological bluelight reception. In: Structure and bonding, pp. 1–44, Hemmerich, P., ed. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shropshire, W., Jr. (1972) Action spectrocopy. In: Phytochrome, pp. 161–181, Mitrakos, K., Shrophsire, W., Jr., ed. Academic Press, London New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shropshire, W., Jr. (1980) Carotenoids as primary photoreceptors in blue-light responses. In: The blue light syndrome. pp. 172–186, Senger, H., ed. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, H.J. (1956) A convenient growth medium for Neurospora (medium). Microb. Genet. Bull. 13, 42–43

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Russo, V.E.A. Are carotenoids the blue-light photoreceptor in the photoinduction of protoperithecia in Neurospora crassa? . Planta 168, 56–60 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407009

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407009

Key words

Navigation