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The involvement of ATP synthase in the imbalance between the photoactivities of PS I and PS II under light-limiting conditions, was examined in broken lettuce chloroplasts using modulated fluorimetry. The imbalance, in favor of PS II, was minimal and roughly constant between pH 6.5-7.3 (ratio of PS II/PS I activities about 1.1), and maximal at pH 8.5 (ratio of PS II/PS I activities about 1.4). This increase was strongly inhibited by a treatment of the chloroplasts with the CF0 ATP synthase inhibitor DCCD, but unaffected by the CF1 ATPase inhibitor, tentoxin. However, tentoxin plus ADP-P1 did inhibit the high pH-induced increased imbalance. These results, when considered with the previous results on the effect of high pH on proton flux through the ATP synthase, suggest that the rate of such proton flow controls the imbalance between the two photo-systems. It is possible that there is an in vivo fine-tuning regulating mechanism of the photosystems imbalance via the opening and closing of proton gradient dissipation through the ATP synthase. This mechanism may help alleviate photoinhibitory damage.

A component of the photosystem II reaction center, the 32-kDa protein, is rapidly turned over in the light. The mechanism of its light-dependent metabolism is largely unknown. We quantified the rate of 32-kDa protein degradation over a broad spectral range (UV, visible, and far red). The quantum yield for degradation was highest in the UVB (280-320 nm) region. Spectral evidence demonstrates two distinctly different photosensitizers for 32-kDa protein degradation. The data implicate the bulk photosynthetic pigments (primarily chlorophyll) in the visible and far red regions, and plastoquinone (in one or more of its redox states) in the UV region. A significant portion of 32-kDa protein degradation in sunlight is attributed to UVB irradiance.

Small discs punched out from leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were exposed for 3 rain in the dark to a high temperature of around 48°C. This caused a progressive inhibition of the gas-exchange (oxygen evolution) type photoacoustic signal, resulting' finally in phase inversion (i.e. leading to negative values), which indicates that oxygen uptake replaces the normal oxygen evolution. This effect was also observed in various other plant species. Oxygen uptake was rapidly reversed (within ca. 4-5 min) to a certain low value of oxygen evolution (about 20% of the control) by continuous illumination with relatively strong white light (minimum 55 W m-2). However, a few minutes in darkness following this heat treatment induced reappearence of the uptake signal. This photoacoustically detected oxygen uptake after heat shock may be interpreted as reflecting stimulated oxygen photoreduction (Mehler reaction) caused by (light dependent) inactivation of the Calvin cycle by heat, suggesting that oxygen may act as a major photosynthetic electron acceptor under stress conditions. Leaves suffering from such heat shock effects were completely restored to normal behaviour after a 24-h incubation at room temperature (25°C). Analysis of the modulation frequency and wavelength dependence of the photoacoustic signals showed that heat shock-induced oxygen uptake is a very complex phenomenon, composed of at least two components differing in kinetics and sensitivity to DCMU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]