Abstract

Summary The effect of copper deficiency on the photochemical reactions, plastid pigments and lipoquinones of oat and spinach chloroplasts was investigated. The synthesis of all thylakoid prenyl lipids as well as of chlorophylls was lower during copper deficiency. The inhibition was observed to a different degree for the individual lipids. The formation of plastoquinones (C45-chain) was much more strongly inhibited than that of phytol derivatives and carotenoids. The rates of photosynthesis, expressed as O2 evolved per leaf area, were lower in the deficient than in the control plants. On the basis of chlorophyll, the O2-evolution was slightly higher in deficient plants. The Photosystem I activity of deficient chloroplasts measured in terms of O2-uptake and the photoreduction of NADP from water was much lower than that of the control ones. Cyclic photophosphorylation was inhibited to the same degree. Photosystem II activity was affected to a lesser extent. Plastocyanin and total copper content in deficient chloroplasts decreased over 50% in comparison with control chloroplasts. The effect of copper deficiency on electron transport was discussed with regard to the plastocyanin content of the chloroplasts.

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