Light-induced De-epoxidation in Lettuce Chloroplasts: VI. De-epoxidation in Grana and in Stoma Lamellae.

Grana and stroma lamellae fractions prepared from illuminated chloroplasts (Lactuca sativa L. var. Manoa) by French press treatment contained less violaxanthin and more zeaxanthin than the corresponding fractions from dark controls. In both fractions, only part of the total violaxanthin was de-epoxidized under illumination, and the ratio of de-epoxidized and unchanged violaxanthin was similar. This not only shows that the de-epoxidation system is present in both grana and stroma thylakoids but also that violaxanthin is heterogeneous in both membranes. The presence and similarity of the de-epoxidation system in grana and stroma lamellae suggest that the function of the violaxanthin cycle is linked to photosynthetic activities which are common to both types of membranes.

Light-induced de-epoxidation of violaxanthin in lettuce chloroplasts. IV. The effects of electron-transport conditions on violaxanthin availability.

1. In isolated chloroplasts of Lactuca sativa var. Manoa, the size of the violaxanthin fraction which is available for de-epoxidation is not directly dependent on electron transport but rather related to the reduced level of some electron carrier between the photosystems. This is concluded from the effects of various electron-transport conditions on violaxanthin availability: Under conditions of electron transport through both photosystems, availability was saturated at a lower electron-transport rate with actinic light at 670 than at 700 nm. Under conditions of electron transport through Photosystem I, availability was smaller for linear electron flow from reduced N-methylphenazonium methosulfate via methylviologen to oxygen than from cyclic electron flow mediated by either N-methylphenazonium methosulfate or 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol; in addition for linear flow from reduced N-methyphenazonium methosulfate via methylviologen to oxygen, availability increased with decreasing light intensity. 2. The postulated carrier whose reduced level is related to availability seems to be some carrier between plastoquinone and the primary acceptor of Photosystem II or plastoquinone itself. This conclusion follows from the fact that availability increased with increasing light intensity under conditions of electron flow through both photosystems and that 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (greater than or equal to 1 mu M) had no effect on availability, whereas low levels of 3, 3-(3',4'-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea resulted in decreased availability (50 percent decrease at 1 mu M). Furthermore, availability in 3,3-(3',4'-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea-poisoned chloroplasts was fully restored by 2-methyl-1,4-naphtoquinone (menadione) which mediates cyclic electron flow through plastoquinone. 3. Violaxanthin availability was zero in the dark and increased in the light to maximum of 67 percent of the total violazanthin in chloroplasts. It is proposed that this variable violaxanthin availability reflects conformational changes on the internal surface of the thylakoid membrane which result in variable exposure of violaxanthin to the de-epoxidase. The fact that not all of the violaxanthin was available for de-epoxidation may indicate a heterogenous distribution of violaxanthin in the membrane.