XVI International Botanical Congess

In fern haplophase, protonemal cells show red light-induced photo- (polaro-) tropism and chloroplast relocation movement. Based on the action dichroism under polarized light and on the parallel occurrence of the two responses, these are likely to be governed by the same dichroic phytochrome species on the membrane. Moss protonemata also show red light-induced phototropism. However, no red light-induced chloroplast relocation movement has been reported so far in mosses. In this study, we examined red light-induced chloroplast movement in protonemal cells of the moss, Physcomitrella patens by polarized light and microbeam irradiation. The results clearly showed that the moss protonemal cells do exhibit dichroic phytochrome-mediated chloroplast relo