The C3 halophyte Suaeda salsa was used to investigate the roles of Ca^2＋, Ca^2＋ channels, and calmodulin （CAM） in betacyanin metabolism. Seeds of S. salsa were cultured in both the dark and light for 3 days. The fresh weight and betacyanin content were much higher in S. salsa seedlings formed in the dark than in seedlings formed in the light. The addition of Ca^2＋ to the half-strength MS nutrient solution promoted betacyanin accumulation in the dark, whereas Ca^2＋ depletion by EGTA suppressed the dark-induced betacyanin accumulation in shoots of S. salsa. The Ca^2＋ channel blocker LaCl3 also inhibited dark-induced betacyanin accumulation. The highest activity of CaM and the maximum betacyanin content decreased by 51% and 45%, respectively, in shoots of S. salsa seedlings treated with the potent CaM antagonist chlorpromazine in the dark. Furthermore, the other CaM antagonist N-（6-aminohexyl）-5-chloro-l-naphthalenesulfonamide （W-7） also inhibited the activity of CaM and dark-dependent betacyanin accumulation, whereas its less active structural analog N-（6-aminohexyl）- 1-naphthalenesulfonamide （W-5） had little effect on the responses to dark of S. salsa seedlings. These results suggest that Ca^2＋, Ca^2＋-regulated ion channels, and CaM play an important role in dark-induced betacyanin accumulation in the shoots of the C3 halophyte S. salsa.
