Four years ago The Blue Light Syndrome was published as the Proceed­ ings of the 1 st International Conference on the Effect of Blue Light in Plants and Microorganisms. Subsequently the interest in this fascinating and growing field of re­ search has further increased, as is reflected by numerous publications. Blue light effects cover such a wide spectrum of organisms, responses and methods that communication among scientists with backgrounds in biology, biochemistry, and biophysics is particularly necessary. These facts not only justified, but demanded calling the "Blue Light Family" together again. In spite of many fmancial problems, the second confer­ ence attracted 113 active members from 19 countries. The 2nd International Conference on The Effect of Blue Light in Plants and Microorganisms was held in July 1984, like the first at the University of Marburg. The organizer could again rely on the help of the International Advisory Committee (W. Briggs, Stanford; M. Furuya, Tokyo; J. Gressel, Rehovot; S. Miyachi, Tokyo; W. Rau, Miinchen; J. Schiff, Waltham; P .-S. Song, Lubbock). The very generous financial as­ sistance from the DFG and the support of the Philipps-Universitat Mar­ burg and its Sonderforschungsbereich "Zellenergetik and Zelldifferen­ zierung" were the prerequisites to organizing the conference. The present book consists of 56 original papers. The partitioning into eight chapters is always a problem. The grouping of different aspects of the papers into these chapters has not always been obvious, so that one or the other contribution could possibly fit in another chapter.

Inhalt

Diversity of Photoreceptors.- The Blue Light Responses in Evolutionary Studies.- Coaction of Phytochrome and Blue/UV Light Photoreceptors.- Effects of UV Radiation on Plants in the Transition Region to Blue Light.- Mycochrome System in the Induction of Fungal Conidiation.- Near-UV and Blue Light Effects in Cyanobacteria.- Blue light Effects in Halobacteria.- Orange/Yellow Pigments in the Basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.ex.Fr.) Kummer.- Blue and Ultraviolet Light in Eyes: Primary Reactions and Light-Induced Metabolic Changes.- Cryptochrome, Some Terminological Thoughts.- Nature and Properties of the Photoreceptors.- Photophysical Aspects of Blue Light Receptors: The Old Question (Flavins Versus Carotenoids) Re-Examined.- The Study of Basic Photochemical and Photophysical Properties of Membrane-Bound Flavins: The Indispensible Prerequisite for the Elucidation of Primary Physiological Blue Light Action.- The Nitrate Reductas System.- Re-Examination of Action Spectroscopy in Blue/Near-UV Light Effects.- Photogeotropism of Phycomyces: Evidence for More Than One Photoreceptor.- Ultraviolet Photoreceptors and Their Interaction in Broom Sorghum - Analysis of Action Spectra and Fluence - Response Curves.- Multiple Effects of the Flavin Quencher Potassium Iodide on light- and Dark-Processes in the Green Alga Mougeotia.- Molecular Interaction Between Riboflavin and Salicylic Acid Derivatives in Non Polar Solvents.- ESR of Transition Metal "Chromophores" in RuBPCase. Supporting Neutron Activation and Optical Data. Concepts of UV light Activation Through Transition Metal Chromophores.- Primary Events and Signal Transduction.- A Light Inducible Cytochrome b Reduction in the Green Alga Acetabularia.- Blue Light Effects and the Role of Membranes.- Localization of Light-Induced Phenylacetic Acid-Binding Sites in Corn Coleoptile Membranes: Possible Association of the Blue Light Photoreceptor Pigment with the Plasma Membrane.- Wavelength Dependence of Nitrite Release and the Effects of Different Nitrogen Sources and CO2 Tensions on Chlamydomonas reinhardii Inorganic Nitrogen Metabolism.- Photoreceptor Mechanism of Neurospora crassa: Control Over the Electrophysiological Properties of Cell Membrane and Over the Level of Nucleotide Regulators.- Genetic Analysis and Molecular Biology of Blue Light Responses.- Genetic Analysis of Blue Light-Induced Responses in Neurospora crassa.- Genetic Determination of the Responses of Phycomyces to Light.- Blue light Receptors in Phycomyces Investigated by Action Spectroscopy, Fluorescence Lifetime Spectroscopy, and Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis.- The Quest for Trichoderma Cryptochrome.- Enzyme Regulation and Carbohydrate Metabolism.- Blue Light Effects on the Level of Translation and Transcription.- Light-Induced Changes in the Protein Pattern Translated in Vivo and in Vitro Accompanying Carotenogenesis in Neurospora crassa and Fusarium aquaeductuum.- Light-Dependent Greening of the Chlorella Mutant G-2: Spectral Dependency and Chloroplast Translation Effects.- Increase in RNA by Blue Light in a Chlorophyll-Free Chlorella Mutant.- Enzyme Regulation and Carbohydrate Metabolism.- Effects of Blue Light on Enzymes.- Influence of Blue Light on NADP-Dependent Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity in Chorella.- Enhancement by Blue Light of GOGAT Activity in Chlorella.- Blue Light Effects on Carbon Metabolism in Dunaliella.- 31P-NMR Studies in Scenedesmus C-2A' in Darkness and Blue Light.- Pigment Biosynthesis.- Effects of Blue Light on the Formation of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid and Chlorophyll in Cultured Tobacco Cells.- The Blue Light Factor in Sun and Shade Plant Adaptation.- Chlorophyll a/Chlorophyll b Ratios of Chlorella vulgaris in Blue or Red Light.- The Influence of Blue Light on the Formation of Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes in Scenedesmus.- Carotenogenesis.- Blue/UV Light Effects on Anthocyanin Synthesis.- Development.- Blue Light Effects in Cell Cultures.- Blue Light Effects on Chloroplast Development in Higher Plants.- Control of the Activity of Photosynthetic Apparatus in Higher Plants.- Blue Light Effects on Morphogenesis and Metabolism in Acetabularia.- Movement and Growth.- Photomovement.- Chloroplast Displacement Response to Blue Light Pulses.- Flavin-Mediated Weak-Light Chloroplast Movement in Mougeotia.- Influence of ATPase Inhibitors on Light-Dependent Movement of Chloroplasts in Vallisneria.- Photoaxis and Photomorphogenesis in Physarum polycephalum Plasmodia.- Red Light-Induced Shift of the Fluence-Response Curve for First Positive Phototropic Curvature of Maize Coleoptiles.- The Possible Role of H+ and Ca2+ in Photobehavior of Blepharisma japonicum.- Blue Light and Stomatal Function.- Oecological Aspects.- Responses of Unicellular Marine Plants to Natural Blue-Green Light Environments.- Blue Light Effects in Marine Macroalgae.- Blue-Green and Green Light Adaptations on Photosynthetic Activity in Some Algae Collected from Subsurface Chlorophyll Layer in the Western Pacific Ocean.- Organism Index.