The Fully Esterified Chlorophyll a Biosynthetic Routes: Reactions Between Mg-Protoporphyrin IX Diester and Chl a - Chlorophyll Biosynthesis and Technological Applications - page 271

Fig. 11.8 Elution profile
of etiolated corn leaves
following a 2.5 ms flash
of light at room
temperature followed by
immediate precipitation
with ammoniacal acetone.
Separations were performed
on a PE Pecosphere
3 3C, C-18 reversed

phase, 4 0.5 cm column.

Elution was with an
isocratic, solvent system
that consisted of H2O:
acetone:methanol
(5:20:75 v/v/v. P Pchlide a ,
PE Pchlide a ester, CE
Chlide a ester, RT retention
time) (Adapted from Rebeiz
et al. 2003 )

Formation of the latter implied the involvement of a light-independent Chlide a E
biosynthetic step in higher plants during dark germination which is depicted by
biosynthetic route 16D (Fig. 11.8 ). Recently, the detection of Chlide a E has also
been reported by others in etiolated plant tissues (Skribanek et al. 2000 ) (Fig. 11.9 ).

Photoconversion of DV Pchlide a E to DV Chlide a E

In Fig. 11.9 , (see below) the photoconversion of DV Pchlide a ester to DV Chl a is
assigned to a fully esterified DV Chl a biosynthetic route. This assignment is based
on the detection of DV Chl a formation immediately following a 47 ms actinic
white light treatment of etiolated cucumber cotyledons, at room temperature