Blue Light-Controlled Conidiation and Absorbance Change in Neurospora are Mediated by Nitrate Reductase

Abstract

After our knowledge has expanded somewhat on the nature of photoreceptors involved in certain blue light-regulated biological responses, I would like to draw your attention to the question of how the physical signal light may be transformed in an organism into a biochemical information. We tried to approach this problem with the rhythmic albino mutant band al-2, bd of Neurospora crassa. At least two blue light-controled responses are known in this organism: (1) phase shifts of the circadian rhythm of conidiation and (2) promotion of conidiation under certain preconditions. We worked with in vivo and in vitro systems, using the light-induced absorbance change (ΔA) first reported in Neurospora by Muñoz et al. (1974) as an assay system.