The effects of chloroplast number and size on the capacity for blue light-dependent chloroplast movement, the ability to increase light absorption under low light, and the susceptibility to photoinhibition were investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana. Leaves of wild-type and chloroplast number mutants with mean chloroplast numbers ranging from 120 to two per mesophyll cell were analysed. Chloropla...

Light control over enzyme function represents a novel and exciting field of biocatalysis research. Blue-light photoreceptors of the Light, Oxygen, Voltage (LOV) family have recently been investigated for their applicability as photoactive switches. We discuss here the primary photochemical events leading to light activation of LOV domains as well as the proposed signal propagation mechanism to ...

The phototropins are flavoprotein kinases that control phototropic bending, light-induced chloroplast movement, and stomatal opening in plants. Two flavin mononucleotide binding light, oxygen, or voltage (LOV) domains are the sites for initial photochemistry in these blue light photoreceptors. We have determined the steady state, photoexcited crystal structure of a flavin-bound LOV domain. The ...

Photodegradation is one of the processes that pesticides may undergo once dispersed in the environment. It requires an adequate overlapping between the emission spectrum of the light source and the absorption spectrum of the compound to be degraded. When such condition is fulfilled, molecules undergo light absorption, being promoted to an excited electronic state, from where they can relax via ...

Photochemical detoxification reactions have been used to generate photooxidised snake venom product of 0 pharmacologic and therapeutic significance. Photochemical method by exposure to UV radiation for120 min. at 30 C in the presence of methylene blue was used to generate photooxidised aflatoxin B1 product (POAFB1). TLC revealed three spots under UV light illumination and HPLC analysis showed t...

Analysis of the chromophore p-coumaric acid, extracted from the ground state and the long-lived blue-shifted photocycle intermediate of photoactive yellow protein, shows that the chromophore is reversibly converted from the trans to the cis configuration, while progressing through the photocycle. The detection of the trans and ¢is isomers was carried out by high performance capillary zone elect...

Analysis of the chromophore p-coumaric acid, extracted from the ground state and the long-lived blue-shifted photocycle intermediate of photoactive yellow protein, shows that the chromophore is reversibly converted from the trans to the cis configuration, while progressing through the photocycle. The detection of the trans and cis isomers was carried out by high performance capillary zone elect...

Under conditions of nonthermal radiant exposure to blue light (440 nm) the primate retina can suffer photic injury by a mechanism that must be photochemical in nature. We have examined the effects of elevated blood oxygen (pO2 of 270 mmHg) on the retinal photosensitivity to blue light in two macaque monkeys by histologic analysis of 12 lesions at 1 to 57 days after irradiation. The retinal imag...

Phototropins (phot1 and phot2, formerly designated nph1 and npl1) are blue-light receptors that mediate phototropism, blue light-induced chloroplast relocation, and blue light-induced stomatal opening in Arabidopsis. Phototropins contain two light, oxygen, or voltage (LOV) domains at their N termini (LOV1 and LOV2), each a binding site for the chromophore flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Their C te...

A novel setup for the direct determination of the quantum yield in photocatalytic and photochemical processes is reported. It combines the opto-electronic measurement of the absorbed amount of light with established quantitative chemical analysis of the products. High power visible LEDs are found to be convenient light sources for the illumination without the need for spectral filtering. The LE...