About:

• IISER scientists have identified the gene ‘BBX11’ and their study was recently published in the prestigious British journal New Phytologist.
  
  
• The synthesis of chlorophyll in plants is a lengthy, multi-step process. When a seedling emerges from under the soil it must quickly synthesise chlorophyll to start supporting its own growth.
  
  
• In order to facilitate quick synthesis of chlorophyll, plants make a precursor of chlorophyll called ‘protochlorophyllide’ in the dark, which glows red when blue light is shone on the plant.
  
  
• As soon as the plant comes out into the light from under the soil, light-dependent enzymes convert protochlorophyllide to chlorophyll.
  
  
• Using genetic, molecular and biochemical techniques, the duo found a mechanism where two proteins oppositely regulate the ‘BBX11’ gene to maintain optimum levels of ‘BBX11’.
  
  
• The amount of protochlorophyllide synthesised needed to be proportional to the number of enzymes available to convert them to chlorophyll.
  
  
• If there is excess of free protochlorophyllide, then exposure to light converts it into molecules that cause ‘photobleaching’.