Photocontrol of anthocyanin synthesis in turnip seedlings : IV. The effect of feeding precursors.

Separation of hypocotyls and cotyledons of turnip seedlings (Brassica rapa) reduced the yield of anthocyanin from the former. Feeding with a combination of phenylalanine, acetate and glucose (PAG) considerably increased anthocyanin synthesis in these excised hypocotyls. In blue light the yield equalled that of the controls with cotyledons attached but, in far-red, the maximum obtained was never more than 55% of the controls.A long pre-treatment with red light markedly reduced anthocyanin formation in far-red. In young seedlings (presumed to be still capable of de novo phytochrome synthesis) this effect could largely be overcome by feeding with the same phenylalanine-acetate-glucose medium used with isolated hypocotyls but, in older seedlings, feeding did not prevent the effect of pre-irradiation with red light. It is concluded that red light not only destroys phytochrome but also leads to substrate disappearance.Without feeding pre-irradiation with red did not materially affect the yield from blue light; the addition of the phenylalanine-acetate-glucose mixture caused a significant increase compared with treatments without pre-red in both older and younger seedlings, particularly in the hypocotyl. The blue sensitive system thus appears to be independent of phytochrome destruction.Feeding also increased yields in red light. In water 72 hours red was no more effective than 24 hours: with PAG the longer irradiation period resulted in a considerably increased yield, especially in younger seedlings. The low yields in red light thus appear to result partly from substrate deficiency.