CHLOROPHYLLS AND CAROTENOIDS IN A FULLY HABITUATED NONORGANOGENIC CALLUS OF BETA-VULGARIS

A fully habituated (H) nonorganogenic sugar beet callus, subcultured i n the light, did not contain detectable chlorophyll (Chl) nor caroteno id (Car). It accumulated some Car in the dark. Fluorescence spectra in dicated that this H callus also accumulated some protochlorophyllide w hich, however, was not well integrated into the protochlorophyllide-NA DPH-photoreductase complex, and therefore not transformed into chlorop hyllide in the light. The H callus showed no variable fluorescence whi ch indicated absence of photosynthesis, and therefore it suggested a f ull heterotrophic behaviour of this peculiar callus line. A green horm one-dependent callus of the same sugar beet had normal fluorescence sp ectra and kinetics comparable to those of a green leaf.