Infrared Gas Analysis Technique for the Study of the Regulation of Photosynthetic Responses

Homeostatic maintenance of physiological and biochemical processes is a key requirement for survival and adaptive responses of multicellular organisms such as plants. These important processes are in part mediated by various plant enzymes and hormones, many of which are in part, controlled by cyclic nucleotides and/or other signalling molecules. Infrared gas analysis (IRGA) technique is one of the modern methods which allows for rapid and accurate measurements of cyclic nucleotide mediated photosynthetic responses to plant hormones, and thus makes it a powerful and useful tool to study aspects of downstream cell signalling events in plants. In this chapter the basic protocols enabling the use of the IRGA technique to study signalling molecules, such as cyclic nucleotides on photosynthetic responses, are outlined.