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Related Experiment Videos

Plant chemiluminescence.

F B Abeles1

  • 1United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21701.

Plant Physiology
|November 1, 1978
PubMed
Summary

Plants produce light through chemiluminescence, a process involving a hydrogen peroxide-peroxidase system. This light emission from plant tissues was observed and studied in peas, beans, and corn.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant physiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Plants exhibit light production, a phenomenon known as chemiluminescence.
  • The underlying biochemical mechanisms in plants are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To confirm and investigate light production in plant tissues.
  • To explore the biochemical basis of plant chemiluminescence.

Main Methods:

  • Chemiluminescence was measured in root and stem tissues of peas, beans, and corn using a scintillation spectrophotometer.
  • Inhibitory and stimulatory factors, including gas phases (N(2), O(2)), ethanol treatment, luminol addition, and enzyme inhibitors (NaN(3), NaCN), were tested.

Main Results:

  • Plant tissues, including peas, beans, and corn, demonstrated measurable chemiluminescence.
  • Chemiluminescence was inhibited by N(2) gas and boiling ethanol, and enhanced by O(2) and luminol.
  • Sodium azide (NaN(3)) and sodium cyanide (NaCN) blocked light production both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions:

  • Plant light production is confirmed and likely originates from a hydrogen peroxide-peroxidase enzyme system.
  • This system is analogous to the one found in leukocytes, suggesting a conserved biochemical pathway.
  • Further research into plant enzymatic light production is warranted.

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