Etiolated seedlings accumulate the chlorophyll biosynthesis intermediate protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) and measuring Pchlide can be important for characterizing photomorphogenic mutants that may be affected in chloroplast development. In this chapter we outline a simple and sensitive method for quantifying Pchlide in extracts of Arabidopsis seedlings using fluorescence spectroscopy. This method can be easily adapted to study chloroplast development in a wide range of plant species.
Keywords: Chlorophyll synthesis; Chloroplast development; Etioplasts; Fluorescence spectroscopy; Tetrapyrroles.