Photosynthetic growth of purple sulfur bacteria during illumination with green light
Osnitskaya, L.K.; Chudina, V.I.
Microbiology (New York) 46(1): 44-49
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-2617 Accession: 006112776
The photosynthetic purple sulfur bacterium Chromatium vinosum grows by assimilating CO2 using light energy of different spectra. Short wavelengths of physiological radiation, blue and green, the region of carotenoid absorption, and white light are used by the bacterium for the assimilation of CO2, biosynthesis of biomass, protein and pigments. The utilization of green light for bacterial photosynthesis was shown for the 1st time. Blue light is more favorable for growth than the green light, provided the energy (in ergs or incident quanta) is the same. An increase in the intensity of long and short wavelength radiation activates biomass accumulation and CO2 assimilation. Photosynthetic growth of the bacterium during its illumination with wavelengths of 464, 497, 535 nm, etc., which are similar to the absorption maxima of carotenoid pigments, suggests the participation of the latter in the uptake of energy that is necessary for photosynthesis.