Summary
The capacity of adaptation and the range of adjustment to different light conditions in fully expanded mutant leaves were studied on an aurea variety of privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium Hassk. var.aureum). Whenever the light conditions are altered leaves respond immediately. Although adaptational changes in leaf thickness are not possible, the change in colour, as well as changes in pigment concentrations take place within several days. With increasing light intensity there is a marked decline in chlorophyll concentration and the carotenoid yield becomes much higher. Under low light conditions the chlorophyll content is high, while the carotenoid concentration drops significantly.
The mutant chloroplasts from green leaves always have a well developed thylakoid system. The only difference between young green leaves (DG1) and older regreened ones (DG2) is in the number of thylakoids per granum (grana in older leaves consist of more thylakoids), while the stacking degree of thylakoids remains about the same (74 and 77% respectively). Depending on the previous light conditions fine structure of plastids in yellow leaves differs considerably. Young yellow leaves (Y0) contain plastids with longitudinal arrays of dilated thylakoids and prothylakoid bodies occasionally. Plastids from primarily green leaves which turned yellow afterwards in strong sunlight (Y1) are characterized by thylakoids densely packed into cup-shaped stacks, or large vesicles originating from dilated thylakoids. The stacking degree of thylakoids in sun exposed yellow leaves (determined only in Y0 leaves) is extremely low and reaches only 29%.
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Kunst, L., Wrischer, M. Adaptational changes of plastids in the leaves ofLigustrum ovalifolium Hassk. var.aureum at different light intensities. Protoplasma 122, 132–137 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01279446
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01279446