Dynamics of Etiolation Monitored by Seedling Morphology, Carotenoid Composition, Antioxidant Level, and Photoactivity of Protochlorophyllide in .

Although etiolated seedlings are widely used as a model to study the de-etiolation process, the etiolation itself at the molecular level still needs elucidation. Here, we monitored the etiolation dynamics for wild type seedlings and lutein-deficient () mutant between 2 and 12 days of their growth in the absence of light. We analyzed the shape of the apex, the growth rate, the carotenoids and protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) accumulation, and the light-dependent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase () transcripts.