Events surrounding the early development of Euglena chloroplasts. I. Induction by preillumination.

Preillumination, followed by a dark period prior to exposure of dark-grown nondividing cells of Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris to normal lighting conditions for chloroplast development, results in potentiation, or abolishment of the usual lag in chlorophyll accumulation. The degree of potentiation is a function of the length of the preillumination period, the intensity of preilluminating light, and the length of the dark period interposed before re-exposure to continuous light for development. The optimal conditions are found to be: 90 minutes of preillumination with white light at an intensity greater than 30 microwatts per square centimeter (14 foot candles) followed by a dark period of at least 12 hours. Reciprocity is not found between duration and intensity of preilluminating light. Preillumination with blue light and red light was found to be the most effective in promoting potentiation, and the ratio of effectiveness of blue to green to red is consistent with protochlorophyll-(ide) being the photoreceptor. Although red light is effective, there is no reversal by far red light, and these facts, taken together with the effectiveness of blue light, suggest that the phytochrome system is not involved. The amount of chlorophyll formed at the end of preillumination is proportional to the resulting potentiation, suggesting that the amount of protochlorophyll(ide) removed or chlorophyll(ide) formed regulates this phenomenon. Potentiated and nonpotentiated cells show comparable rates of protochlorophyll(ide) resynthesis, suggesting that this is not the limiting factor in nonpotentiated cells. Although light is required for protochlorophyll(ide) conversion in chlorophyll synthesis, a brief preillumination seems also to initiate the production of components in the subsequent dark period which, in nonpotentiated cells, are ordinarily synthesized during the lag period under continuous illumination. These components are necessary to sustain maximal rates of subsequent chlorophyll accumulation.