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Environmental and Stress Physiology

A Mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that Exhibits Chlorosis in Air but Not in Atmospheres Enriched in CO₂¹

MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

A mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. which requires a high concentration (2% by volume) of atmospheric CO₂ for growth has been isolated. Unlike previous mutants of this type, this line does not have any apparent defect in photosynthetic CO₂-fixation, photorespiration, or photosynthetic electron transport. The mutant is abnormally susceptible to pigment bleaching in air but not in 2% CO₂. The presence of normal or above-normal levels of antioxidants, carotenoids, and enzymes involved in reactive oxygen detoxification suggests that the mutant is equipped to detoxify activated oxygen species. Although it was not possible to establish a biochemical basis for the lesion, the properties of the mutant suggest the existence of a previously unidentified role for CO₂.