The red light-inhibited mesocotyl elongation in maize seedlings is accompanied with decreasing elastic cell wall extensibility, increasing activity of the cell wall-bonding peroxidases and low content of the hydrogen peroxide in the apoplast. The results let us assume that the red light induces the cell-wall rigidity by increasing oxidative processes catalyzed by peroxidases in the elongating zone of mesocotyl. The process of cell-wall rigidity is reduced to the reduction of cell wall extensibility and contributes to decreasing elongation growth velocity