Photoregulation of Anthocyanin Synthesis

A comparative study of the spectral sensitivity of anthocyanin production in dark-grown and light-pretreated systems was carried out in Brassica oleracea L., Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Secale cereale L. and Spirodela polyrrhiza L. Light pretreatments bring about an enhancement of the inductive, red-far red reversible response in all systems, a decrease of the continuous irradiation response in cabbage, rye, and tomato seedlings, and an enhancement of the continuous irradiation response in cabbage leaf disks. Light pretreatments also bring about a marked change in the spectral sensitivity of the continuous irradiation response. The different effect of light pretreatments on the photosensitivity of the response to short and long wavelength irradiations suggests that two photoreceptors, phytochrome and cryptochrome, may be involved in the photoregulation of anthocyanin production.