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. 1988 Dec;88(4):1021–1025. doi: 10.1104/pp.88.4.1021

Sites of Inhibition by Disulfiram in Thylakoid Membranes 1

Danny J Blubaugh 1,2,2, Govindjee 1,2
PMCID: PMC1055708  PMID: 16666414

Abstract

Disulfiram (tetraethylthiuram disulfide), a metal chelator, inhibits photosynthetic electron transport in broken chloroplasts. A major site of inhibition is detected on the electron-acceptor side of photosystem II between QA, the first plastoquinone electron-acceptor, and the second plastoquinone electron-acceptor, QB. This site of inhibition is shown by a severalfold increase in the half-time of Q−A oxidation, as monitored by the decay of the variable chlorophyll a flourescence after an actinic flash. Another site of inhibition is detected in the functioning of the reaction center of photosystem II; disulfiram is observed to quench the room temperature variable chlorophyll a fluorescence, as well as the intensity of the 695 nm peak, relative to the 685 nm peak, in the chlorophyll a fluorescence spectrum at 77 K. Electron transport from H2O to the photosystem II electron-acceptor silicomolybdate is also inhibited. Disulfiram does not inhibit electron flow before the site(s) of donation by exogenous electron donors to photosystem II, and no inhibition is detected in the partial reactions associated with photosystem I.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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