The effect of illumination on the L-ascorbic acid content in Euglena gracilis z.

Abstract

Illumination of the dark-grown Euglena gracilis, both the wild-green type and a permanently bleached mutant, for 4 hr at 2,000 lux caused about 6-fold increase of the cellular content of total l-ascorbic acid. The increase was mainly due to an increase of reduced-form l-ascorbic acid. From the action spectrum only blue light was found to be effective for the increase. Darkening stopped the increase and reillumination started a renewed increase. The activity of l-gulono-γ-lactone dehydrogenase, catalyzing the last step of l-ascorbic acid biosynthesis, was also increased two fold by illumination for 2 hr, and was changed in parallel to that of the cellular content of l-ascorbic acid depending on the presence or absence of illumination. The augmentation of l-ascorbic acid formation was markedly inhibited by various inhibitors and uncouplers, but not by dichlorophenyldimethylurea. The results in sum suggest that the light-dependent increase of l-ascorbic acid formation in E. gracilis is not primarily associat...