Red radiation and choline compounds influence growth and greening of wheat seedlings

The effects of 2-chloroethyltrimethylammonium chloride (CCh), 2-ethyltrimethyl-ammonium chloride (Ch), and acetylcholine chloride (ACh) at concentrations of 1 mu M - 5 mM and of red radiation (R) pulse on growth, greening, and formation of the photosynthetic apparatus in etiolated wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Moskovskaya-35) were examined. A short-term application of cholines and R pulse stimulated the first leaf growth and its appearance from coleoptile, and inhibited the coleoptile growth. The effects of cholines were observed during 96 h after the treatment of 4-d-old seedlings and depended on the type and the concentration of cholines. CCh, Ch, and R were also stimulators of greening and increased the photosynthetic activity, whereas ACh did not influence the process of greening. Joint effects of R with cholines on the growth and photomorphogenesis were greater than the individual ones, whereas far-red (FR) radiation decreased the influence of cholines. Thus phytochrome may modify the effects of cholines in the processes of growth and greening.