title: Anthocyanin-dependent anoxygenic photosynthesis in coloured flower petals?
abstract: Chlorophylless flower petals are known to be composed of non-photosynthetic tissues. Here, we show that the light energy storage that can be photoacoustically measured in flower petals of Petunia hybrida is approximately 10-12%. We found that the supposed chlorophylless photosynthesis is an anoxygenic, anthocyanin-dependent process occurring in blue flower petals (ADAPFP), accompanied by non-respiratory light-dependent oxygen uptake and a 1.5-fold photoinduced increase in ATP levels. Using a simple, adhesive tape stripping technique, we have obtained a backside image of an intact flower petal epidermis, revealing sword-shaped ingrowths connecting the cell wall and vacuole, which is of interest for the further study of possible vacuole-related photosynthesis. Approaches to the interpretations of ADAPFP are discussed, and we conclude that these results are not impossible in terms of the known photochemistry of anthocyanins.
authors.affiliation: Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lysenko
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Varduny
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000235:genetics; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000235:genetics*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D008027:Light; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate