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Carotenoid composition in Zea mays developed at sub‐optimal temperature and different light intensities
Author(s) -
Haldimann Pierre,
Fracheboud Yvan,
Stamp Peter
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1995.tb00856.x
Subject(s) - neoxanthin , antheraxanthin , zeaxanthin , xanthophyll , violaxanthin , lutein , carotenoid , botany , light intensity , chlorophyll , biology , chlorophyll b , horticulture , chemistry , physics , optics
The content and composition of pigments were examined in the third leaf of Zea mays L. plants grown under controlled environment at near‐optimal temperature (24°C) or sub‐optimal temperature (14°C) at a light intensity of either 200 or 600 μmol m −2 s −1 . Compared to leaves grown at 24°C, leaves grown at 14°C showed a large reduction in the chlorophyll (Chl) content, a marked decrease in the Chl a/b ratio, and a large increase in the ratio of total carotenoids/Chl a+b . Leaves grown at 14°C showed a much lower content of β‐carotene than leaves grown at 24°C, while the content of the carotenoids of the xanthophyll cycle (violaxanthin [V] + antheraxanthin [A] + zeaxanthin [Z]) was markedly higher in the former leaves as compared to the latter leaves; neoxanthin and lutein were affected by the growth temperature to a much lesser extent. The xanthophylls/β‐carotene ratio was about three times higher in leaves grown at 14°C as compared to leaves grown at 24°C. On a chlorophyll basis, the two types of leaves hardly differed in their level of β‐carotene, while the levels of the xanthophylls (including lutein and neoxanthin) were higher in 14°C‐grown leaves as compared to 24°C‐grown leaves. In leaves grown at 14°C, 40 and 56% of the V+A+Z pool was in the form of zeaxanthin at low light intensity and high light intensity, respectively. Only trace amounts of zeaxanthin, if any, were present in leaves grown at 24°C. The changes in the pigment composition induced by growth at sub‐optimal temperature were more pronounced at a light intensity of 600 as compared to 200 μmol m −2 s −1 . In the given range, the light intensity slightly affected the composition of pigments in leaves grown at 24°C. The physiological significance of the modifications to the pigment composition induced by growth at sub‐optimal temperature is discussed.