144
NEWS AND VIEWS
13 M. N. Donoso, A. Valenzuela and E. Silva, Tryptophan riboflavin photo-induced adduct and hepatic dysfunction in rats, Nutr. Rep. Znt., 37 (1988) 599-606. 14 E. Silva, M. Salim-Hanna, M. I. Becker and A. De loannes, Toxic effect of a photo-induced tryptophaa-riboflavin adduct on F9 teratocarcinoma cells and preimplantation mouse embryos, Znt. J. Ktam. Nutr. Res., 58 (1988) 394-401.
Ultraweak
photons emitted by cells: biophotons
Hugo J. Niggli Cosmital SA (Research Company of Wella AG, Darmstadt), Rte de Ch&alles 21, CH-1723 Marb (Switzerland)
1. Introduction
Photons necessarily participate in all atomic and molecular interactions and changes in the physical universe. At the beginning of this century, Gunvitsch suggested that ultraweak photons transmit information in living systems [l] and several papers were published on this so-called mitogenetic radiation determined by biological detectors (onion roots) in the period from 1923 to 1935. Although some laboratories carried out their measurements by means of counter tubes containing photoelectric metal plates (for review see Quickenden and Que Hee [2]), these physical methods have not produced clear evidence for the existence of mitogenetic radiation. Finally, the results of Gurwitsch were refuted by Hollander and Klaus [3] and interest in this subject declined in the following decades. The presence of biological radiation was reexamined with the development of photomultiplier tubes in the mid-1950s by Facchini and co-workers [4]. In the 1960s most of the work on ultraweak photon emission was performed by Russian scientists [5-71, while in Western countries several pioneers, Quickenden in Australia [8], Popp in Germany [9] and Inaba in Japan [lo], independently developed methods for ultraweak photon measurements in a variety of different cells by the use of an extremely low noise, highly sensitive photon counting system which allows maximal exploitation of the potential capabilities of a photomultiplier tube. In the meantime it is commonly agreed that plant, animal and human cells emit ultraweakphotons often called biophotons [ll-171. From these and additional investigations different origins for this very weak radiation have been proposed which will be discussed shortly.
2. Radical
reactions
as source
of biopbotons
Most of the investigators think that this very weak radiation results from radical reactions such as, for instance, lipid peroxidation. In studies of microsomal lipid peroxidation [18, 191, it has been shown that the amount of malonaldehyde production and the intensity of emitted light are related to each other. On the basis of these studies, Inaba and co-workers proposed in their most recent report [20] that the reason for their finding of oxygen dependent light emission in rat liver nuclei was most probably lipid peroxidation in the nuclear membrane. As discussed in detail by Cadenas
145
NEWS AND VIEWS
and Sies [21], free radical decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides leads to the formation of excited chemiluminescent species by the self-reaction of secondary lipid peroxyradicals, producing either singlet molecular oxygen or excited carbonyl groups.
3. Does chromatin
contribute
to the emission
of ultraweak
photons?
However, there also exists a highly interesting model published in 1983 by Nag1 and Popp [22] suggesting that there is a negative feedback loop in living cells which couples together states of a coherent ultraweak photon or biophoton field and the conformational state of the cellular DNA. The authors assume photon transfer or radiationless chemical pumping from the cytoplasmic metabolism which results in changes of the DNA conformation via exciplex/excimer formation. Their hypothesis is based on experimental data reviewed by Birks [23] who also suggested these excimers as precursors of the pyrimidine photodimers which play a key role in the radiation damage of DNA [24]. Since the conformation of the DNA molecule is believed to be of importance for the regulation of the nuclear information transfer, such processes in turn influence the metabolic activity of a cell, thus closing the feedback loop [25].
4. Perspectives The experimental material collected to date does not allow a definitive answer to the question of the ultraweak photon emission. As discussed in the most recent reviews by different authors in this field [ll, 261, the mechanism of ultraweak photon emission is highly complex. Nevertheless, it seems urgent for investigators in this new field to find experimental proof for the two main hypotheses on the source of biophoton emission and further research is needed which may even reconcile the different suggestions.
A. G. Gurwitsch, S. Grabje and S. Salkind, Die Natur des spezifischen Erregers der Zellteilung, Arch. Entwicklungsmech. Org., 100 (1923) 11-40. T. I. Quickenden and S. S. Que Hee, On the existence of mitogenetic radiation, Sped. Sci. Technol., 4 (1981) 453464. A. Hollaender and W. Klaus, An experimental study of the problem of mitogenetic radiation, Bull. Nat. Res. Count. (US), 100 (1937) 3-96. L. Colli, U. Facchini, G. Guidotti, R. Dugnani Lonati, M. Orsenigo and 0. Sommariva, Further measurements on the bioluminescence of the seedlings, eerientia, II (1955) 479-481. S. V. Konev, T. I. Lyskova and G. D. Nisenbaum, Very weak bioluminescence’of cells. in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum and its biological role, Biophysics, II (1966) 41M13. G. A. Popov and B. N. Tarusov, Nature of spontaneous luminescence of animal tissues, Biophysics, 8 (1963) 372. A. I. Zhuravlev, 0. P. Tsvylev and S. M. Zubkova, Spontaneous endogeneous ultraweak luminescence of the mitochondria of the rat liver in conditions of normal metabolism, Biophysics, I8 (1973) 1101. T. I. Quickenden and S. S. Que-Hee, The spectral distribution of the luminescence emitted during growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its relationship to mitogenetic radiation, Photo&em. Photobiol., 23 (1976) 201-204.
F. A. Popp and B. Ruth, Untersuchungen zur ultraschwachen Lumineszenz aus biolo&schen Systerhen unter Beticksichtigung der Bedeutung fiir die Arzneimittelforschung, Drug Res., 27 (1977) 933-940.
146
NEWS AND VIEWS
10 H. Inaba, Y. Shimizu, Y. Tsuji and A. Yamagishi, Photon counting spectral analyzing system of extra-weak chemi- and bioluminescence for biochemical applications, Photo&em. Photobiol, 30 (1979) 169-175. 11 W. B. Chwirot, G. Cilento, A. A. Gurwitsch, H. Inaba, W. Nagl, F. A. Popp, K. H. Li, W. P. Mei, M. Galle, R. Neurohr, J. Slawinski, R. V. Van Wijk and D. H. J. Schamhart, Multiauthor review on biophoton emission, Erperientia, 44 (1988) 543600. 12 E. Hideg and H. Inaba, Biophoton emission (ultraweak photon emission) from dark adapted spinach chloroplasts, Photo&em. PhotobioL, 53 (1991) 137-142. 13 D. Slawinska and J. Slawinski, Biological chemiluminescence, Photochem. PhotobioL, 37 (1983) 709-71s. 14 I. Panagopoulos, J. F. Bomman and L. 0. Bjom, Effects of ultraviolet radiation and visible light on growth, fluorescence induction, ultraweak luminescence and peroxidase activity in sugar beet plants, J. Photochem. PhotobioL B: Biol., 8 (1990) 73-87. 15 R. Van Wijk and H. Van Aken, Spontaneous and light-induced photon emission by rat and by hepatoma cells, Cell Biophys., 18 (1991) 15-29. 16 W. Scholz, U. Staszkiewicz, F. A. Popp and W. Nagl, Light-stimulated ultra-weak photon reemission of human amnion cells and wish cells, Cell Biophys., I3 (1988) 55-63. 17 -F. Grasso, C. Grillo, F. Musumeci, A. Triglia, G. Rodolico, F. Cammisuli, C. Rinzivillo, G. Fragati, A. Santuccio and M. Rodolic, Photon emission from normal and tumor human tissues, E.a~tvienria, 48 (1992) 10-13. Photochem. Photobiol., 40 (1984) 823-830. 18 E. Cadenas, Biological chemiluminescence, 19 J. R. Wright, R. C. Runibaugh, H. D. Colby and P. R. Miles, The relationship between chemiluminescence and lipid perozidation in rat hepatic microsomes,Arch. Biochem Biophys., 192 (1979) 344-351. 20 & Devaraj, R. Q. Scott, P. Roschger and H. Inaba, Ultraweak light emission from rat liver nuclei, Photo&m. PhotobioL, 54 (1991) 289-293. 21 E. Cadenas and H. Sies, Low level chemiluminescence of liver microsomal fractions initiated by tertbutylhydroperazid& Eur. J. Biochem., 124 (1982) 349-356. model of differentiation: basic 22 W. Nagl and F. A. Popp, A physical (electromagnetic) considerations, Cytobios., 37 (1983) 45-62.. 23 J. B. Birks, Excimers, Rep. Progr. Phys., 38 (1975) 903-974. of cytosine-cytosine photodimers in the DNA of Cloudman S91 24 H. J. Niggli, Determination melanoma cells using h&h pressure liquid chromatography, Photochem. PhotobioL, 55 (1992) 793-796. 25 M. Rattemeyer, F. A. Popp and W. Nagl, Evidence of photon emission from DNA in living systems, Natwwi.ssenschajkn, 68 (1981) 572-573. 26 F. A. Popp and K. H. Li, Recent advances in biophoton research and its application, WorldScientific, Singapore, 1992.
Blue light perception by plants Sn&na
ObrenoviC
Institute for Biological Research, 29. twvembm 142, 11060 Belgmde (Yugoslavia)
The problem of blue light (B) perceptioh in higher plants has been studied ever since the discovery of phototropism and the description of the fh-st action spectrum in oat seedlings, which closely resembles the photocontrol of elongation [l]. The discckery of phytochromt [2) offered partial interpretation of the B phenomena [3,
NEWS AND VIEWS
13 M. N. Donoso, A. Valenzuela and E. Silva, Tryptophan riboflavin photo-induced adduct and hepatic dysfunction in rats, Nutr. Rep. Znt., 37 (1988) 599-606. 14 E. Silva, M. Salim-Hanna, M. I. Becker and A. De loannes, Toxic effect of a photo-induced tryptophaa-riboflavin adduct on F9 teratocarcinoma cells and preimplantation mouse embryos, Znt. J. Ktam. Nutr. Res., 58 (1988) 394-401.
Ultraweak
photons emitted by cells: biophotons
Hugo J. Niggli Cosmital SA (Research Company of Wella AG, Darmstadt), Rte de Ch&alles 21, CH-1723 Marb (Switzerland)
1. Introduction
Photons necessarily participate in all atomic and molecular interactions and changes in the physical universe. At the beginning of this century, Gunvitsch suggested that ultraweak photons transmit information in living systems [l] and several papers were published on this so-called mitogenetic radiation determined by biological detectors (onion roots) in the period from 1923 to 1935. Although some laboratories carried out their measurements by means of counter tubes containing photoelectric metal plates (for review see Quickenden and Que Hee [2]), these physical methods have not produced clear evidence for the existence of mitogenetic radiation. Finally, the results of Gurwitsch were refuted by Hollander and Klaus [3] and interest in this subject declined in the following decades. The presence of biological radiation was reexamined with the development of photomultiplier tubes in the mid-1950s by Facchini and co-workers [4]. In the 1960s most of the work on ultraweak photon emission was performed by Russian scientists [5-71, while in Western countries several pioneers, Quickenden in Australia [8], Popp in Germany [9] and Inaba in Japan [lo], independently developed methods for ultraweak photon measurements in a variety of different cells by the use of an extremely low noise, highly sensitive photon counting system which allows maximal exploitation of the potential capabilities of a photomultiplier tube. In the meantime it is commonly agreed that plant, animal and human cells emit ultraweakphotons often called biophotons [ll-171. From these and additional investigations different origins for this very weak radiation have been proposed which will be discussed shortly.
2. Radical
reactions
as source
of biopbotons
Most of the investigators think that this very weak radiation results from radical reactions such as, for instance, lipid peroxidation. In studies of microsomal lipid peroxidation [18, 191, it has been shown that the amount of malonaldehyde production and the intensity of emitted light are related to each other. On the basis of these studies, Inaba and co-workers proposed in their most recent report [20] that the reason for their finding of oxygen dependent light emission in rat liver nuclei was most probably lipid peroxidation in the nuclear membrane. As discussed in detail by Cadenas
145
NEWS AND VIEWS
and Sies [21], free radical decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides leads to the formation of excited chemiluminescent species by the self-reaction of secondary lipid peroxyradicals, producing either singlet molecular oxygen or excited carbonyl groups.
3. Does chromatin
contribute
to the emission
of ultraweak
photons?
However, there also exists a highly interesting model published in 1983 by Nag1 and Popp [22] suggesting that there is a negative feedback loop in living cells which couples together states of a coherent ultraweak photon or biophoton field and the conformational state of the cellular DNA. The authors assume photon transfer or radiationless chemical pumping from the cytoplasmic metabolism which results in changes of the DNA conformation via exciplex/excimer formation. Their hypothesis is based on experimental data reviewed by Birks [23] who also suggested these excimers as precursors of the pyrimidine photodimers which play a key role in the radiation damage of DNA [24]. Since the conformation of the DNA molecule is believed to be of importance for the regulation of the nuclear information transfer, such processes in turn influence the metabolic activity of a cell, thus closing the feedback loop [25].
4. Perspectives The experimental material collected to date does not allow a definitive answer to the question of the ultraweak photon emission. As discussed in the most recent reviews by different authors in this field [ll, 261, the mechanism of ultraweak photon emission is highly complex. Nevertheless, it seems urgent for investigators in this new field to find experimental proof for the two main hypotheses on the source of biophoton emission and further research is needed which may even reconcile the different suggestions.
A. G. Gurwitsch, S. Grabje and S. Salkind, Die Natur des spezifischen Erregers der Zellteilung, Arch. Entwicklungsmech. Org., 100 (1923) 11-40. T. I. Quickenden and S. S. Que Hee, On the existence of mitogenetic radiation, Sped. Sci. Technol., 4 (1981) 453464. A. Hollaender and W. Klaus, An experimental study of the problem of mitogenetic radiation, Bull. Nat. Res. Count. (US), 100 (1937) 3-96. L. Colli, U. Facchini, G. Guidotti, R. Dugnani Lonati, M. Orsenigo and 0. Sommariva, Further measurements on the bioluminescence of the seedlings, eerientia, II (1955) 479-481. S. V. Konev, T. I. Lyskova and G. D. Nisenbaum, Very weak bioluminescence’of cells. in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum and its biological role, Biophysics, II (1966) 41M13. G. A. Popov and B. N. Tarusov, Nature of spontaneous luminescence of animal tissues, Biophysics, 8 (1963) 372. A. I. Zhuravlev, 0. P. Tsvylev and S. M. Zubkova, Spontaneous endogeneous ultraweak luminescence of the mitochondria of the rat liver in conditions of normal metabolism, Biophysics, I8 (1973) 1101. T. I. Quickenden and S. S. Que-Hee, The spectral distribution of the luminescence emitted during growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its relationship to mitogenetic radiation, Photo&em. Photobiol., 23 (1976) 201-204.
F. A. Popp and B. Ruth, Untersuchungen zur ultraschwachen Lumineszenz aus biolo&schen Systerhen unter Beticksichtigung der Bedeutung fiir die Arzneimittelforschung, Drug Res., 27 (1977) 933-940.
146
NEWS AND VIEWS
10 H. Inaba, Y. Shimizu, Y. Tsuji and A. Yamagishi, Photon counting spectral analyzing system of extra-weak chemi- and bioluminescence for biochemical applications, Photo&em. Photobiol, 30 (1979) 169-175. 11 W. B. Chwirot, G. Cilento, A. A. Gurwitsch, H. Inaba, W. Nagl, F. A. Popp, K. H. Li, W. P. Mei, M. Galle, R. Neurohr, J. Slawinski, R. V. Van Wijk and D. H. J. Schamhart, Multiauthor review on biophoton emission, Erperientia, 44 (1988) 543600. 12 E. Hideg and H. Inaba, Biophoton emission (ultraweak photon emission) from dark adapted spinach chloroplasts, Photo&em. PhotobioL, 53 (1991) 137-142. 13 D. Slawinska and J. Slawinski, Biological chemiluminescence, Photochem. PhotobioL, 37 (1983) 709-71s. 14 I. Panagopoulos, J. F. Bomman and L. 0. Bjom, Effects of ultraviolet radiation and visible light on growth, fluorescence induction, ultraweak luminescence and peroxidase activity in sugar beet plants, J. Photochem. PhotobioL B: Biol., 8 (1990) 73-87. 15 R. Van Wijk and H. Van Aken, Spontaneous and light-induced photon emission by rat and by hepatoma cells, Cell Biophys., 18 (1991) 15-29. 16 W. Scholz, U. Staszkiewicz, F. A. Popp and W. Nagl, Light-stimulated ultra-weak photon reemission of human amnion cells and wish cells, Cell Biophys., I3 (1988) 55-63. 17 -F. Grasso, C. Grillo, F. Musumeci, A. Triglia, G. Rodolico, F. Cammisuli, C. Rinzivillo, G. Fragati, A. Santuccio and M. Rodolic, Photon emission from normal and tumor human tissues, E.a~tvienria, 48 (1992) 10-13. Photochem. Photobiol., 40 (1984) 823-830. 18 E. Cadenas, Biological chemiluminescence, 19 J. R. Wright, R. C. Runibaugh, H. D. Colby and P. R. Miles, The relationship between chemiluminescence and lipid perozidation in rat hepatic microsomes,Arch. Biochem Biophys., 192 (1979) 344-351. 20 & Devaraj, R. Q. Scott, P. Roschger and H. Inaba, Ultraweak light emission from rat liver nuclei, Photo&m. PhotobioL, 54 (1991) 289-293. 21 E. Cadenas and H. Sies, Low level chemiluminescence of liver microsomal fractions initiated by tertbutylhydroperazid& Eur. J. Biochem., 124 (1982) 349-356. model of differentiation: basic 22 W. Nagl and F. A. Popp, A physical (electromagnetic) considerations, Cytobios., 37 (1983) 45-62.. 23 J. B. Birks, Excimers, Rep. Progr. Phys., 38 (1975) 903-974. of cytosine-cytosine photodimers in the DNA of Cloudman S91 24 H. J. Niggli, Determination melanoma cells using h&h pressure liquid chromatography, Photochem. PhotobioL, 55 (1992) 793-796. 25 M. Rattemeyer, F. A. Popp and W. Nagl, Evidence of photon emission from DNA in living systems, Natwwi.ssenschajkn, 68 (1981) 572-573. 26 F. A. Popp and K. H. Li, Recent advances in biophoton research and its application, WorldScientific, Singapore, 1992.
Blue light perception by plants Sn&na
ObrenoviC
Institute for Biological Research, 29. twvembm 142, 11060 Belgmde (Yugoslavia)
The problem of blue light (B) perceptioh in higher plants has been studied ever since the discovery of phototropism and the description of the fh-st action spectrum in oat seedlings, which closely resembles the photocontrol of elongation [l]. The discckery of phytochromt [2) offered partial interpretation of the B phenomena [3,
