Shade leaves of some tropical plants, such as avocado, have two carotenoid based pigment cycles that have established a particular photoprotective function for the xanthophyll pigment lutein.

Papers from this project

• Förster B, Osmond CB, Pogson BJ (2009) De-novo synthesis and degradation of Lx- and V-cycle pigments during shade and sun acclimation in avocado leaves (P. americana). Plant Physiology 149: 1179-1195
• Esteban R, Jiménez MS, Morales D, Jiménez ET, Hormaetxe K, Becerril JM, Osmond B, García-Plazaola J-I (2008) Short and long-term modulation of the lutein-epoxide and violaxanthin cycles in two species of the Lauraceae: sweet bay laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) and avocado (Persea americana Mill). Plant Biology 10, 288-297.