Indication of transthylakoid proton-fluxes in Aegopodium podagraria L. by light-induced changes of plasmalemma potential, chlorophyll fluorescence and light-scattering

Abstract

The time course of the responses of chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves of Aegopodium podagraria to changes in irradiance does not necessarily show the time constant of thylakoid energization at energy fluence rates below 10-25 W·m(-2). In addition, other measures of thylakoid energization, such as lightscattering at 532 nm and the responses to saturating flashes, show that the related component disappears from these signals at low fluence rates, but not necessarily all together at the same fluence rate. However, this time constant still appears in the light-induced responses of the plasmalemma potential. This implies that the effect on the electrogenic proton pump in the plasmalemma is the most sensitive indicator of proton fluxes into the inner thylakoid space. These results are a further indication that energy-quenching is coupled ther indication that energy-quenching is coupled to transthylakoid proton fluxes via an intermediate, which is not active in Aegopodium podagraria at low irradiances.