KINETIC ANALYSIS OF A VERY RAPIDLY REVERTING POPULATION OF HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT PHYTOCHROME*

Abstract— Purified high-mol-wt phytochrome preparations in the absence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or 2-mercaptoethanol may exhibit lower far-red extinction in the far-red-absorbing form (Pfr) than has previously been reported. Kinetic analyses suggest that such preparations of phytochrome in the Pfr form consist either of two populations of Pfr, one with normal extinction and one with greatly reduced far-red extinction, or of one population of Pfr in which each molecule possesses both one or more high far-red extinction chromophores and one or more low far-red extinction chromophores. The low-extinction form of Pfr undergoes reversion to the red-absorbing form of phytochrome with a half-life of approximately 2 min at 3°C and may represent as much as 35 per cent of the total Pfr present.