Development of Pigment System in Barley Seedlings
under Hypobaric Hypoxia

A. P. Zotikova, T. A. Zaitseva, T. P. Astafurova, and Yu. A. Ryabchuk

Research Institute of Biology and Biophysics, Tomsk State University, pr. Lenina 36, Tomsk, 634050 Russia

Received February 22, 1995

Abstract—Accumulation of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the course of greening is studied in etiolated bar-
ley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings exposed to white light under hypobaric hypoxia. The amount of chlorophyll
and carotenoids synthesized under hypobaric hypoxia was reduced compared with plants at normal atmospheric
pressure, and this difference enhanced as the time of hypoxia treatment increased. Accumulation of chlorophyll
b was inhibited to a higher extent than chlorophyll a. The decrease in carotenoid pool mainly accounted for the
decline in carotene content. The content of violaxanthin and lutein + zeaxanthin significantly decreased only
after exposure to hypoxia for 24 h. Hypoxia did not affect the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the
leaves of the seedlings grown under light from the beginning. We conclude that the pigment systems in green
and greening etiolated barley seedlings differ in their sensitivity to hypobaric hypoxia.

Key words: hypobaric hypoxia - chlorophylls - carotenoids - Hordeum vulgare

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