Greening of barley seedlings under changed gravity conditions

Abstract

Plants possess sensitive mechanisms for detecting gravitational changes, and altered gravity conditions can affect metabolic processes, including photosynthesis. Photosynthesis in higher plants occurs in chloroplasts, where pigment-binding proteins play a crucial role in capturing and transferring light energy. Microgravity's impact on the photosynthetic apparatus has been studied in space-flight experiments, but results have been contradictory. This study investigates the influence of clinorotation on barley seedlings' photosynthetic apparatus during greening. The study examines pigment biosynthesis, chloroplast membrane formation, and photochemical characteristics. Results show that clinorotation affects pigment accumulation, and the differences are more pronounced in the early stages of greening, highlighting the importance of gravity in plant photosynthesis.