M. Eskling et He. Akerlund, CHANGES IN THE QUANTITIES OF VIOLAXANTHIN DE-EPOXIDASE, XANTHOPHYLLS AND ASCORBATE IN SPINACH UPON SHIFT FROM LOW TO HIGH LIGHT, Photosynthesis research, 57(1), 1998, pp. 41-50
Zeaxanthin, a carotenoid in the xanthophyll cycle, has been suggested
to play a role in the protection against photodestruction. We have stu
died the importance of the parameters involved in zeaxanthin formation
by comparing spinach plants grown in low light (100 to 250 mu mol m(-
2) s(-1)) to plants transferred to high light (950 mu mol m(-2) s(-1))
. Different parameters were followed for a total of 11 days. Our exper
iments show that violaxanthin de-epoxidase decreased between 15 and 30
%, the quantity of xanthophyll cycle pigments doubled to 100 mmol (mol
Chl)(-1), corresponding to 27 mu mol m(-2), and the rate of violaxant
hin to zeaxanthin conversion was doubled. Lutein and neoxanthin increa
sed from 50 to 71 mu mol m(-2) and from 16 to 23 mu mol m(-2), respect
ively. On a leaf area basis, chlorophyll and beta-carotene levels firs
t decreased and then after 4 days increased. The chlorophyll a/b ratio
was unchanged. The quantity of ascorbate was doubled to 2 mmol m(-2),
corresponding to an estimated increase in the chloroplasts from 25 to
50 mM. In view of our data, we propose that the increase in xanthophy
ll cycle pigments and ascorbate only partly explain the increased rate
of conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin, but the most probable ex
planation of the faster conversion is an increased accessibility of vi
olaxanthin in the membrane.