EFFECTS OF PHYTOCHROME AND BLUE-NEAR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT-ABSORBING PIGMENT ON DURATION OF COMPONENT PHASES OF THE CELL CYCLE IN ADIANTUM GAMETOPHYTES

Abstract

Single-celled protonemata of the fern A. capillus-veneris, kept under continuous red light, grew with a very low rate of cell division and the cell cycle was arrested in the early G1 phase. Cell division was induced by transferring the protonemata to the dark after various light treatments, and the duration of component phases in the cell cycle was determined by a continuous-labeling technique with 3H-thymidine. Blue light irradiation greatly reduced the duration of the G1 phase but did not affect that of other phases. The greater the fluence of blue light, the shorter the duration of G1 phase was observed. In contrast, a brief exposure of red-light-grown protonemata to far-red light given immediately before the dark incubation showed no effect on the duration of G1, S and M phases but significantly extended that of the G2 phase. The effect of far-red light on the G2 phase was reversed by red light, and the effects of red and far-red light were repeatedly reversible. The progression in the M phase was not influenced by any pre-irradiation described above.