The level of phyA in Pharbitis nil Chois during the photoperiodic flower induction

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine if there is any relationship between an endogenous phyA level and photoperiodic flower induction. The level of phyA was characterised with polyclonal antibodies directed to phyA from pea. At first it was detected that phyA level is predominant in cotyledons, whereas in roots and stems the concentration of labile phytochrome is rather low. So cotyledons were used for later experiments. In these cotyledons exposed to light illumination a rapid destruction of phyA has been observed. The loss of extractable phyA chromoprotein occurs already after 60 min of irradiation. <em>Pharbitis nil</em> is a short-day plant and a single 16-hours-long dark period is fully inductive. We assessed that phyA level is extremely low during a long inductive night and an immunodetectable phytochrome appears only after 24 hours of darkness. The obtained results suggest that labile phytochrome is not taking part in the direct control of the photoperiodic flower induction.