Brachypodium distachyon has been developed as a monocot model plant for temperate grasses and bioenergy crops. Although B. distachyon research is moving forward rapidly, the study of photoresponses has not been explored. To extend our knowledge of responses to light in monocots, we performed photoresponse analysis of B. distachyon using two inbred lines, Bd21 and Bd21-3. In this study, we first compared growing phenotypes between the two lines and investigated coleoptile and primary leaf growths under dark, far-red, red, and white light conditions. The results showed that the growth of the two lines were similar until tillering stage, but other developmental stages from heading to senescence were much delayed in Bd21-3, which resulted in increased height and tiller numbers. Under different light conditions, primary leaf lengths were kept increasing during the growth period, whereas the coleoptile extension was inhibited 4 to 7 days after growth depending on the light conditions applied. These results suggest that the responses to light in B. distachyon can be examined by measuring coleoptile lengths approximately 7 days after seedling growth. Moreover, we selected light-responsive genes known in Arabidopsis thaliana, such as chlorophyll A/B binding protein (CAB), light-harvesting chlorophyll binding protein (Lhcb) and chalcone synthase (CHS), and confirmed their light-induced gene expression in B. distachyon. Therefore, the present study suggests that the inhibition of coleoptile growth can be used as the parameter to analyze photoresponses in the monocot model plant, and also provide the reference genes whose expression is induced by far-red and red light treatment.

The effects of basal media, carbon, nitrogen, phosphate and some major macro elements on growth and shikonin production in Lithospermum erythrorhizon hairy root culture were studied. Among examined media, growth of hairy root cultured in B5 liquid medium was rapid, whereas shikonin production was high in MS liquid medium. Under B5 basal medium, sucrose concentration for optimal growth and shikonin production was 9% and 4% respectively. The growth and shikonin production on pH changes in B5 medium resulted little effect in pH 5.8 to pH 8.8 ranges, whereas growth was decreased dramatically in both above 8.8 and under 5.8. Nitrogen source and concentration effected on the growth and shikonin production. The highest growth rate was in B5 medium (50 mM KNO3 and 1 mM NaH2PO4), whereas the highest shikonin production was in the condition supplemented with 5 mM KNO3 and 10 mM NaH2PO4.