Is there a link between greening and light-enhanced glycoalkaloid accumulation in potato (Solanum tuberosum L) tubers?

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) tubers (cvs Pentland Dell and Record) were treated with the chlorophyll biosynthesis inhibitors 4-amino-5-fluoropentanoic acid (AFPA) and 3-amino-2,3-dihydrobenzoic acid (gabaculine), and subsequently exposed to daylight for up to 10 days prior to pigment and glycoalkaloid analysis. AFPA inhibited the accumulation of total chlorophyll (Chi) by between 50 and 70% in both cultivars throughout the duration of light exposure. The synthesis of Chi b was inhibited by over 80% in both cultivars. Neither inhibitor had a significant effect on light-enhanced glycoalkaloid accumulation. It is concluded that there is no direct metabolic link between Chi and glycoalkaloid biosynthesis. (C) 1998 SCI.