On the coupling of electrical events at the membranes of energized chloroplasts in intact plant leaf cells

Photoinduction kinetics of electrical potential in a single chloroplast as studied with micro-electrode technique

1. Using single chloroplasts of Peperomia metallica the kinetics of light-induced potential changes were studied. Three kinetic components (the initial fast rise, the decay in the light and the decay in the dark) were found to be characterized by time constants 4, 220 and 60 ms, respectively at light intensity 5000 1x and temperature 18 degrees C. After flash excitation the potential kept on rising for about 10 ms. Cooling of the medium down to 5 degrees C had no effect on the duration of potential rise after the flash. 2. Variations in the medium temperature in the range 2-23 degrees C had little effect on photoresponse magnitude but resulted in significant acceleration of decay in the light. 3. Addition of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (5-)0(-6) M) resulted in suppression of the magnitude of the photoresponse but was not accompanied by any change in the rate of initial rise of potential. 3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea-inhibited photoresponse could be restored and even enhanced by subsequent addition of N-methylphenazonium methosulfate (10(-4) M). N-Methylphenazonium methosulfate essentially influenced the time course and light-intensity curves of photoresponse. 4. The chloroplast photoresponses were of different time-courses when elicited by red (640 nm) or far red (712 nm) light. This fact as well as an enhancement effect of combined illumination by two intermittent light beams indicate on the interaction of two photosynthetic pigment systems when the photoelectric response was formed. 5. An imposed electrical field resulted in stimulation or suppression of chloroplast photoresponse depending on the polarity of the field. No indications for the existance of "reversal potential" for photoelectric response were obtained. 6. A kinetic scheme of photoresponse formation is proposed, which includes two sequential photochemical reactions of photosynthesis.

The effect of cations and membrane permeability modifying agents on the dark kinetics of the photoelectric response in isolated chloroplasts

The kinetics of the photoelectric response induced by saturating light pulses were studied in isolated chloroplasts of Peperomia metallica as a function of K+- and Mg2+-concentrations in the medium in the absence and presence of ionophores for K+ and divalent cations. The dark decay of the potential generated in the light is found to be accelerated upon an increase in K+- or Mg2+-concentrations in the presence of valinomycin and A23187. An acceleration of the decay phase in the flash-induced response is also observed immediately after preillumination of the chloroplast. It is concluded that the dark kinetics of the potential decay after short and long light exposures are controlled by two different processes with rate constants of about 20 and 0.2s-1, respectively.

On the steady-state electrical potential difference across the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts in illuminated plant cells

The potential defference across the thyladoid membranes under steady-state saturating light conditions, measured with microcapillary glass electrodes, was found to be small as compared to the potential initially generated at the onset of illunimation. This result is discussed to be in agreement with quantitative estimates on the approximate magnitudes of the potential generating electron flux through the photo-synthetic electron transport chain and of the potential dissipating ion fluxes across the thylakoid membrane under steady-state conditions. It is concluded that a pH gradient of approx. 3-3.4 units is built up in the light across the membrane. The negative diffusion potential associated with this gradient is suggested to cause the transient negative potential observed in the dark after illumination.