Light requirement, phytochrome and photoperiodic induction of flowering of Pharbitis nil Chois : III. A comparison of spectrophotometric and physiological assay of phytochrome transformation during induction.

During an inductive dark period for flowering, changes in phytochrome have been followed in cotyledons of Pharbitis nil seedlings using a spectrophotometric and a physiological technique. There was agreement between the two techniques, both indicating a rapid lowering of the levels of the far-red-absorbing form of the pigment (Pfr) during the first 30-90 min of darkness. Thus, Pfr could provide the cue which signals the beginning of darkness and the length of the critical dark period was, in some instances, correlated with the time of Pfr disappearance. However, there was no correlation with another indicator of photoperiodic time measurement, the time in darkness at which a brief night interruption becomes inhibitory to flowering. These results imply that the transition from light to darkness is not signalled by the disappearance of Pfr. However, the involvement of other photoreceptors seems unlikely. Thus, some mode of phytochrome action other than a simple Pfr-mediated response may be involved in the light/dark-sensing reactions of photoperiodism.