A GENERAL HYPOTHESIS TO INTERPRET 'HIGH ENERGY PHENOMENA' OF PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS ON THE BASIS OF PHYTOCHROME

Abstract— It is demonstrated that the high energy reaction of photomorphogenesis (blue-far-red reaction) in the case of seed germination and hypocotyl lengthening of Lactuca sativa (L.) 'Grand Rapids' is a consequence solely of phytochrome. A hypothesis is presented in which all high energy phenomena can be explained on the basis of phytochrome.     

GENETIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE EFFECT OF LIGHT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOSS, PHYSCOMITRELLA PATENS

The germination of Physcomitrella patens spores only occurs when wet spores are exposed to light. Depending on their ripeness, spores require from 44 to 64 h illumination to bring about maximum germination. There is a lag period of about 15 h between the reception of sufficient light to elicit germination before germination can be observed. Wavelengths in the range 640–64080 nm are much more effective in inducing germination than longer or shorter wavelengths, but far-red reversal of red light induction of germination has not been demonstrated. Light also has very marked effects on protonemal and gametophore development. In darkness, only caulonemata are produced, and these grow negatively geotropically. No new gametophores develop but existing gametophores grow negatively geotropically, etiolate and bear only scale leaves. In light, chloronemata, as well as caulonemata are produced, the former grow positively phototropically, while the latter grow at right angles to the direction of light, and neither cell type is sensitive to gravity. In the light, gametophores grow positively phototropically, are indifferent to gravity, produce large leaves and do not etiolate. All these responses to light by protonemata and gametophores are shown by cultures growing in a 23 h dark/l h red light cycle, but if this red light treatment is followed by 15min far-red light, the effect of the red light is reversed, indicating an involvement of phytochrome in the mediation of these responses. Mutants showing abnormal growth in the dark have been isolated, as well as mutants having abnormal phototropic responses. The latter type has lost the phototropic response of both the protonemal cell types, as well as of gametophores, indicating that these different responses may share a common component.     

PHYTOCHROME CONTROL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION

In the cotyledons of the mustard (Sinapis ah L.) seedling the development of the capacity for photophosphorylation is strongly influenced by pretreatment of the seedling with red light pulses. The red light acts through phytochrome. After a red light pretreatment the capacity for photophosphorylation increases linearly with the chlorophyll content, at least up to 30 min after the onset of continuous white light. It is proposed that the reaction chain required for photophosphorylation is completed under the influence of phytochrome even in the absence of chlorophyll. As soon as chlorophyll becomes available photophosphorylation functions instantaneously. Without a red light pretreatment there is a lag of more than 15 min before photophosphorylation becomes detectable after the onset of continuous white light even though chlorophyll a is available. Although phytochrome strongly influences the rate of chlorophyll accumulation as well it is improbable that the control by phytochrome of development of photophosphorylation and of chlorophyll accumulation are causally connected.     

SPECTRA OF FLUORESCENCE LIFETIME AND INTENSITY OF Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides AT ROOM AND LOW TEMPERATURE. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE WILD TYPE, THE C 71 REACTION CENTER-LESS MUTANT AND THE B800–850 PIGMENT-PROTEIN COMPLEX

Abstract— Spectra of the fluorescence lifetime and intensity of chromatophores from the wild type Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides , from the C 71 reaction center-less mutant and of the B800–850 light harvesting pigment-protein complex have been studied by phase fluorimetry techniques at different light modulation frequencies at room and low temperature.
As already known, closed reaction centers (saturating light) are still quenchers of antenna fluorescence although with a lower efficiency than when they are opened. The fluorescence yields and lifetimes of both the C 71 mutant strain and the B800–850complex are found to increase by about 30% between room and low temperature.
The fluorescence lifetimes obtained for the C 71 strain (0.65 ns at 20C; 0.85 ns at 77 K) and for the B850 complex (1 ns at 20C; 1.3 ns at 77 K) indicate that the non-radiative deactivation pathways, in the antenna, remain important in the absence of the reaction centers even at low temperature. We suggest that these data arise from the presence of special antenna molecules which act as intrinsic quenchers of the B875 antenna fluorescence. Between room and low temperature, the fluorescence yield and lifetime of the wild type are found roughly constant. This result suggests that the energy trapping by the reaction centers is independent of the temperature. The mechanism governing the energy transfer from the antenna to the reaction centers may differ from the mechanism leading to the energy transfer within the antenna. We suggest that a partially irreversible trapping of the excitation energy, on its way to the reaction center, takes place in the vicinity of the reaction center.     

MOLECULAR DESIGN OF LIGHT EMITTING POLYMERS

Fluorene-based alternating and statistical copolymers were synthesized by employing reaction methods of Wittig,Heck and Suzuki. The copolymers were classified into three groups with the photoluminescence (PL) emission maxima at420, 475 and 500 nm, respectively. Statistical copolymers with two chromophores having PL emission maxima at 420 and475 nm emitted light with the emission maximum at 475 nm on photoexcitation at 365 nm and improved the quantumefficiency by the energy transfer. However, the intramolecular energy transfer was inefficient compared to the intermolecularenergy transfer when the two chromophores were apart from each other in the range of the Forster critical distance. Fluorene-pyridinedivinylene alternating copolymer was synthesized by the Wittig reaction and found to have physical, electronic andelectrochemical properties of the individual units intact. The double-layered light emitting diode (LED) with the statisticalcopolymer as an emitting layer and the pyridine-containing copolymer as an electron transporting-hole blocking layer, whichwere sandwiched between ITO and Al, displayed a quantum efficiency of 0.1%.     

Atomically Dispersed Main Group Magnesium on Cadmium Sul-fide as the Active Site for Promoting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Catalysis

Photoabsorption charge separation/transfer and surface reaction are the three main factors influencing the efficiency of photocatalysis.Band structure engineering has been extensively applied to improve the light absorption of photocatalysts,however,most of the developed photocatalysts still suffer from low photocatalytic performance due to the limited active site(s)and fast recombination of photogenerated charge carriers.In this work,atomically dispersed main group magnesium(Mg)is introduced onto CdS monodispersed nanospheres,which greatly enhances the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction rate reaches 30.6 mmol·gcatalyst^-1·h^-1,which is about 11.8 and 2.5 times that of pure CdS and Pt(2 wt.%)-CdS.The atomically dispersed Mg on CdS acts as an electron sink to trap photogenerated electrons,and at the same time,greatly reduces the Gibbs free energy of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and accelerates HER.     

六甲氧基甲基三聚氰胺-多元醇-丙烯酸酯混杂聚合中酸的双重作用

六甲氧基甲基三聚氰胺 (HMMM) 多元醇 丙烯酸酯混合体系在较高温度下可同时进行缩聚和自由基聚合并表现出加速固化、热互补、原位形成高分子合金等协同效应 .通过凝胶化时间和聚合反应速度的研究 ,发现酸既是HMMM 多元醇缩聚反应的催化剂 ,也是促进过氧化氢物分解产生自由基引发丙烯酸酯自由基聚合的催化剂 .研究还发现 ,以潜酸催化剂作为酸的来源可以使体系达到室温稳定 ,高温快速固化的目的     

TRANSFER OF ENERGY FROM REACTION CENTER TO LIGHT HARVESTING CHLOROPHYLL IN A PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIUM*

Abstract— Previous evidence indicates that energy transfer in photosynthetic bacteria can occur from reaction center to light harvesting chlorophyll (the reverse of the usually considered flow) and that the amount of this flow depends on the strain of bacteria. The present report demonstrates that the action spectrum for fluorescence of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, strain R26, is changed by adding the strong reductant dithionite. This change indicates that the amount of reverse flow can be altered chemically. The amount of reverse flow inferred from these measurements is consistent with the amount predicted from the absorption and fluorescence spectra of chromatophores and isolated reaction centers, and from the relative fluorescence yields of these two. The measurements permit an estimate of the transfer rates describing the energy flow from light harvesting to reaction center chlorophyll as well as the reverse flow. The spectrum for delayed fluorescence of Rps. spheroides, strain Ga, was found to be similar to that of the variable part of the fluorescence. This is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition that the energy for delayed fluorescence originates in the reaction centers.     

PROBIT ANALYSIS OF LOW AND VERY-LOW FLUENCE-RESPONSES OF PHYTOCHROME-CONTROLLED Kalanchoe blossfeldiana SEED GERMINATION*

Abstract— Kalanchoë blossfeldiana seeds are light-requiring for seed germination. On water or KNO₃ solution and irradiated with several daily red (R) irradiations, the seeds show a low-fluence (LF) response which is far-red (FR) reversible. Incubated on gibberellic acid (GA₃) the seeds show a very-low-fluence (VLF) response which can be saturated with red as well as with far red light. As germination is a quantal response, the sub-optimal segments of the dose-response curves are analysed by means of probit analysis in order to calculate the seed population parameters. There is a linear relation between the probit of the germination response and the logarithm of the fluence. Moreover, the slope for the VLF as well as for the LF response is the same. The VLF requires about 8 × 10⁴ times less fluence than the LF. VLF saturation with FR requires about 200 times more fluence than with R. Although, GA₃ and KNO₃ modulate VLF and LF, respectively, there is no direct influence on the phytochrome-phototransformations. Once P_fr is formed (in VLF or LF, or preserved in dry seeds) germination is proportional to the GA_S concentration (for VLF and dark germination) or proportional to the KNO, concentration (for LF). The non-photochemical events leading to germination seem to be triggered by a similar action mechanism for both GA, and KNO₃.     

HOMOGENEOUS PHOTOBLEACHING OF CHLOROPHYLL HOLOCHROMES IN A PHOTOSYSTEM I REACTION CENTER COMPLEX

Chlorophyll (Chl) photobleaching and P700 photodegradation were followed simultaneously in a P700 Chi a-protein complex (Chl a /P700 < 35). During strong illumination, the photobleaching kinetics of the bulk Chl corresponded with that of P700 photodegradation. The absence of a blue shift of the absorption maximum at 678 nm after photobleaching indicated the simultaneous degradation of all Chl holochromes and the absence of long wavelength-absorbing energy traps that would protect P700 against excess light energy. It was deduced that in the P700 reaction center core complex, the excitons are uniformly distributed amongst the Chl holochromes, which decreases the deleterious effects of excess light energy on P700 and protects the photosystem against photoinhibition.     

Phytochrome-mediated photocontrol of the germination of the scentless mayweed, Matricaria inodora L., and its sensitization by nitrate and temperature

The emergence of Matricaria inodora (M. perforata) may poorly respond to modified light exposure during tillage. Therefore, the influence of light, nitrate and temperature on the germination of M. inodora has been studied under laboratory conditions. Germination of a native seed batch levels off around 77% after 7 to 9 days at 20°C, if sown in 0.01 M KNO₃ or NaNO₃ with a daily photoperiod of 14 h weak white light. In 0.01 M NaCl or in bidistilled water germination reaches 48 ± 5%. One saturating red-light pulse, applied 12 h after imbibition in 0.01 M KNO₃, gives only 12 ± 3% germination after 7 days, but 5 daily repeated red-pulses produce 75% germination. Ten twofold daily repeated red-light pulses are equivalently efficient, and if all immediately followed by a saturating far-red pulse, perfect reversibility down to the far-red level of 7 ± 3% germination is found. The dark germination was 1.7 ± 0.7%.

A fluence-response curve, elaborated for 10 red-pulses, gives an exponential pattern with half-saturating pulse fluence around 35 J m⁻², as indicative of phytochrome photoconversion. The influence of additional temperature pretreatment in darkness was tested, followed by half-saturating red-light pulses every 12 or 24 h. Chilling at 2 °C was ineffective up to 6 days, but slightly sensitizing after 21 days, giving around 30% and 46% germination, respectively. Preincubation for 6 days between 20 and 36 °C was more efficient and led to 58–68% germination at 20 °C. A thermoperiodic pretreatment with daily 12 h at 10 °C and 12 h at 30 °C was most efficient, giving 73 ± 4% germination. For all these pretreatments dark germination never exceeded 3%.

Elevated dark germination occurred when water-imbibed achenes, being exposed and dried in red-light of 1 W m⁻², have been reimbibed in darkness. If drying in red-light was for 6 h to a water content of 20% and reimbibition was in water or 0.01 M KNO₃, dark germination increased to 22 ± 5% or 40 ± 6%, respectively. This dark germination was far-red reversible down to 5 ± 2% with half-escape time around 5 h. If drying in red-light was for 24 h to reach the storing content of water around 11%, the dark germination after reimbibition in water or 0.01 M KNO₃ was only 4 ± 2% and 13 ± 2%, respectively. All corresponding controls for drying and reimbibition in darkness, for both water and nitrate, never exceeded 1% germination. This means that drying of seed in light — but not in darkness — increases emergence after the next rainfall and that the nitrate ion acts as a sensitizer for preformed P_fr and facilitates phytochrome-mediated germination.

Thus, for maximum germination of surface exposed M. inodora a thermoperiodic pretreatment, daily repeated light exposures and nitrate are needed. This is typical of the shallow germinating ancestor occurring in coastal ranges, the Sea Mayweed, Tripleurospermum maritimum, and may explain why the emergence of M. inodora is scarcely reduced after lightless tillage.     

Energy transfer followed by electron transfer in a supramolecular triad composed of boron dipyrrin, zinc porphyrin, and fullerene: a model for the photosynthetic antenna-reaction center complex

The first example of a working model of the photosynthetic antenna-reaction center complex, constructed via self-assembled supramolecular methodology, is reported. For this, a supramolecular triad is assembled by axially coordinating imidazole-appended fulleropyrrolidine to the zinc center of a covalently linked zinc porphyrin-boron dipyrrin dyad. Selective excitation of the boron dipyrrin moiety in the boron dipyrrin-zinc porphyrin dyad resulted in efficient energy transfer (k(ENT)(singlet) = 9.2 x 10(9) s(-)(1); Phi(ENT)(singlet) = 0.83) creating singlet excited zinc porphyrin. Upon forming the supramolecular triad, the excited zinc porphyrin resulted in efficient electron transfer to the coordinated fullerenes, resulting in a charge-separated state (k(cs)(singlet) = 4.7 x 10(9) s(-)(1); Phi(CS)(singlet) = 0.9). The observed energy transfer followed by electron transfer in the present supramolecular triad mimics the events of natural photosynthesis. Here, the boron dipyrrin acts as antenna chlorophyll that absorbs light energy and transports spatially to the photosynthetic reaction center, while the electron transfer from the excited zinc porphyrin to fullerene mimics the primary events of the reaction center where conversion of the electronic excitation energy to chemical energy in the form of charge separation takes place. The important feature of the present model system is its relative "simplicity" because of the utilized supramolecular approach to mimic rather complex "combined antenna-reaction center" events of photosynthesis.     

Reversible Photoisomerization of Norbornadiene-Quadricyclane within a Confined Capsule†

With the desire to develop a sustainable green method to store and release solar energy via a chemical reaction, we have examined the well-investigated norbornadiene-quadricyclane (NBD-QC) system in water. In this context, we have employed octa acid (OA) as the host that forms a capsule in water. According to ¹H NMR spectra and diffusion constants, OA forms a stable 2:2 complex with both NBD and QC and 1:1:2 mixed complex in the presence of equal amounts of both NBD and QC. The photoconversion of NBD to QC within the OA capsule is clean without side reactions. In this case, OA itself acts as a triplet sensitizer. Recognizing the disadvantage of this supramolecular approach, in the future we plan to look for visible light absorbing sensitizers to perform this conversion. The reverse reaction (QC to NBD) is achieved via electron transfer process with methylene blue as the sensitizer. This reverse reaction is also clean, and no side products were detected. The preliminary results reported here provide “proof of principle” for combining green, sustainable and supramolecular chemistries in the context of solar energy capture and release.     

DELAYED-LIGHT STUDIES ON PHOTOSYNTHETIC ENERGY CONVERSION-IV. EFFECT OF TRIS POISONING, AND OF ITS REVERSAL BY HYDROGEN DONORS, ON THE MILLISECOND EMISSION FROM CHLOROPLASTS*

Abstract— Destruction of the oxygen-evolving activity of chloroplasts by treatment with 0.8 M Tris-HC1 results in an extremely rapid dark decay of millisecond delayed light. Addition of electron acceptors such K₃Fe(CN)₆ or NADP⁺ does not change the decay characteristics of this msec delayed light. Artificial electron donors such as DPC partially restore the msec delayed emission to the slowly decaying situation which is found in control chloroplasts. Addition of electron acceptors to this photochemically competent system results in more rapid decay and in an increase of emission at 1 msec, as in control chloroplasts. We suggest on the basis of the delayed light data that Tris treatment induces a rapid side reaction which uselessly dissipates the oxidizing and reducing power which is stored by Photoreaction II. Artificial electron donors allow the Tris-poisoned photoreaction to store energy long enough for utilization of the energy by normal photosynthetic reactions, as shown by the flattening of the delayed light curves. In the restored system the normal reactions of electron transport are thus able to compete with the Tris-induced side reaction. This interpretation is supported by the finding that the restored system requires higher exciting intensities for saturation of NADP⁺ reduction than the control system.     

LETTUCE SEED GERMINATION: EFFECTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE AND OF REPEATED FAR-RED TREATMENT IN RELATION TO PHYTOCHROME

Abstract— At 37°C the active form of phytochrome in lettuce seed cannot function to promote subsequent germination. This effect of high temperature is distinct from thermal acceleration of dark reversion from the active form of phytochrome to the inactive form, and may be due to reversible denaturation of phytochrome.
Repeated brief irradiations with far-red light inhibit subsequent germination in the whole seed, whereas a similar irradiation regime results in a strong enhancement of the development of growth potential (ability to expand against an externally-imposed osmotic restraint) in the excised axial portion of the seed. A possible explanation for these two opposing results, in volving two different pigment systems with effective loci in different parts of the seed, is suggested.     

THE FLAVIN-SENSITIZED PHOTOOXIDATION OF NUCLEOTIDES—II. THE PARTICIPATION OF THE FLAVIN TRIPLET STATE

Abstract— –A study has been made of the effects of a series of nucleotides upon the electronic excited states of lumiflavin in order to determine the mechanism of their flavin-sensitized oxidation. A hydrogen-abstraction mechanism is ruled out, because if the nucleotide acts as a reducing agent for the excited dye molecules, it should increase the rate of reduction of the dye when the irradiation is carried out in the absence of oxygen. However, each of the nucleotides studied was found to reduce the rate of anaerobic photoreduction. While oxidation by an intermediate species such as the dye 'moloxide' or singlet oxygen is not entirely ruled out, our evidence suggests that the initial reaction is between the nucleotide and the flavin triplet. This results in a loss of the triplet excitation energy and is a very efficient reaction, guanosine monophosphate shewing 36 per cent of the triplet quenching efficiency of potassium iodide. The relative rates of reaction of the nucleotides with the flavin triplet exactly parallels their quantum yields of sensitized photo-oxidation. The formation of ground-state complexes between flavin and nucleotide and the participation of the singlet excited state of the flavin are not considered to be important.     

甲醇和氨对腺嘌呤水解脱氨机理的影响(英文)

用密度泛函理论在B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)水平上研究了甲醇和氨辅助的腺嘌呤水解脱氨机理,结果表明该反应首先是在水的亲核进攻下形成一个四面体结构中间体,然后该中间体通过构象变化得到两个不同构象,从而找到两条不同反应路径.在路径a中,辅助分子参与了过渡态的形成,起到转移氢原子的作用;而在路径b中,辅助分子仅作为介质,没有参与过渡态的形成.在氨辅助的情况下,腺嘌呤在亲核反应前发生了胺-亚胺异构化,而在甲醇辅助机理中则未发生该异构化.能量结果表明甲醇辅助腺嘌呤脱氨反应具有与水辅助类似的势垒,而氨辅助反应的势垒则比水辅助的高.     

PHYTOCHROME AND EFFECTS OF SHADING ON GROWTH OF WOODLAND PLANTS

qrowth of Circaea lutetiaim plants was studied in various locations in or near a mixed deciduous woodland. Morphological changes resulting from increased shading included increases in leaf area ratio, specific leaf area and specific water content. Parallel measurements with a spectroradi-ometer confirmed that shading involved a reduction in both light fluence rate and light quality (e.g. red/far-red ratio). Phytochrome P_fr/P status was also studied by spectrophotometric measurements on Avena seedling test material and by biological (Lactuca seed germination) assay. Attempts were made to demonstrate phytochrome controlled changes in plant morphology under controlled environment, using both end-of-day far-red treatment and far-red enrichment of the main light period. Effects of natural shading were most clearly simulated by varying light fluence rate while maintaining a constant but high red/far-red ratio     

ACTION DE LA QUANTITÉ JOURNALIÈRE DE LUMIÈRE SUR LA FLORAISON, LE POIDS SEC ET LA TENEUR EN EAU DE QUELQUES PLANTES DE JOURS COURTS ET DE JOURS LONGS

Abstract— Experiments were carried on in the Liège Phytotron for two years to discover what reactions could be obtained when both short-day and long-day plants were placed in the same light energy per day (light intensity × daily light duration in various combinations) and receiving respectively 8 or 16 hr light per day. It was observed that both types of plants give parallel dry weight curves in both long-day and short-day, but this happens only during the vegetative state following germination.
Differences occur in those dry weight curves in short-day plants and also in long-day plants when cultivated under inductive photoperiodic light and induced to flower.
In these suitable light conditions, their dry weight increased compared with that of plants left in a non-inductive photoperiodic fight.
The evolution of tissue water content (stems, leaves, flowers), expressed as water % of the dry weight, is also interesting to observe in the same experimental environments. This evolution plays an important physiological part in flower formation, as has been shown before by R. Bouillenne.
Both types of plants cultivated in their respective non-inductive light point out a very simple curve of water content. First a rapid increase of water into the tissues during the first 10 days after germination; then from this maximum, the curve goes down regularly and slowly till a constant low level.
However, in inductive light exposure, water content percentage curves are really different for both types of species. Considering the same daily value of light energy given in each case, it is possible to conclude that the induction of flower does not depend on the daily light quantity but on something else which is connected with the photoperiodism.
These fluctuations of the water content will be investigated.     

含氟基团对液晶垂直排列的作用

实验发现双酚A双肉桂酸酯和六氟双酚A双肉桂酸酯单体在线偏振紫外光作用下发生光交联,形成的薄膜对液晶分子的排列效果截然不同,分别诱导液晶分子沿面平行排列和垂直排列.红外光谱分析表明光交联的类型均为[2+2]环加成反应.利用原子力显微镜观察薄膜表面,没有发现明显的各向异性拓扑分布.通过测量非含氟和含氟两种交联膜的表面能大小,发现氟的引入使薄膜的表面能降低,同时表面能中的极性作用明显降低.实验结果表明,氟基团的引入导致液晶分子垂直排列.本文探讨了这种垂直排列的原因.