Blue light strongly promotes de-etiolation over green, moderate over red, but have limited action over far-red lights in lettuce plants

Abstract

The role of photoreceptors (phytochromes and cryptochromes) was evaluated in lettuce regarding (de)etiolation processes. The manipulation of light quality and intensity can modulate their activity and response and, consequently, promote morphophysiological changes in plants. To this end, lettuce plants were grown under controlled conditions at two photosynthetically active radiation levels (300 and 600 µmol m−2 s−1) and at different qualities, including white, blue, green, red and far-red light, as well as combinations, totaling 18 treatments. Biomass gain, internode length, light interception, pigment content, morpho-anatomical changes in the leaves and ultrastructural changes in the chloroplast and cell wall were evaluated. It was verified that in green, there was the highest degree of etiolation; however, the supplementation of blue promotes a strong de-etiolation process. In pure red (R), the plants were slightly less etiolated, but with limited action of blue in stimulating de-etiolation, and in R plus far-red (FR) (R:FR ratio was 0.33 in R + FR treatment), there was a strong degree of etiolation and weak action of blue on those set of treatments. In general, the plants submitted to the highest intensities of blue light, alone or in combination, approach the control phenotype (white light at total 300 µmol m−2 s−1; 18 % blue = 54 µmol m−2 s−1). The morpho-anatomical phenotype supports the hypothesis that blue light is capable of inhibiting or reducing etiolation-related responses, but the effects are dependent not only on the quality alone but also on the light intensity. Based on the known light-dependent response of phytochromes and cryptochromes, we suggest a weak interference of PHYB on CRY and a strong negative action of PHYA on CRY proteins.