Skip to main content
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1971 Sep;48(3):282–286. doi: 10.1104/pp.48.3.282

The Photosynthetic Unit in Chlorella Measured by Repetitive Short Flashes 1

Jack Myers a, Jo-Ruth Graham a
PMCID: PMC396850  PMID: 16657782

Abstract

Apparent size of the photosynthetic unit in Chlorella pyrenoidosa was estimated by the method of Emerson and Arnold: rate of oxygen evolution was measured under repetitive saturating flashes of about 10-microsecond duration separated by dark periods of 0.033 to 0.100 second. Cells used were taken from six steady state cultures maintained at different light intensities. Cell characteristics included a variation in chlorophyll content from 1 to 5%. Apparent size of the photosynthetic unit varied systematically with chlorophyll content in the range of 1560 to 2350 chlorophylls per O2 per flash. Values for unit size showed no unusual statistical distribution and were not changed significantly by addition of low level background light at 645 or 705 nanometers. Maximal rate of unit turnover, calculated from light-saturated rate and unit size, varied inversely with chlorophyll content in the range of 70 to 180 per second.

Full text

PDF
282

Selected References

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

  1. Arnold W., Kohn H. I. THE CHLOROPHYLL UNIT IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS. J Gen Physiol. 1934 Sep 20;18(1):109–112. doi: 10.1085/jgp.18.1.109. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Arnon D. I. COPPER ENZYMES IN ISOLATED CHLOROPLASTS. POLYPHENOLOXIDASE IN BETA VULGARIS. Plant Physiol. 1949 Jan;24(1):1–15. doi: 10.1104/pp.24.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Emerson R., Arnold W. A SEPARATION OF THE REACTIONS IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS BY MEANS OF INTERMITTENT LIGHT. J Gen Physiol. 1932 Mar 20;15(4):391–420. doi: 10.1085/jgp.15.4.391. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Emerson R., Arnold W. THE PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS. J Gen Physiol. 1932 Nov 20;16(2):191–205. doi: 10.1085/jgp.16.2.191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. JOLIOT A., JOLIOT P. ETUDE CIN'ETIQUE DE LA R'EACTION PHOTOCHIMIQUE LIB'ERANT L'OXYG'ENE AU COURS DE LA PHOTOSYNTH'ESE. C R Hebd Seances Acad Sci. 1964 May 4;258:4622–4625. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Joliot P. Cinétiques des réactions liées a l'émission d'oxygène photosynthétique. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1965 May 25;102(1):116–134. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Joliot P., Joliot A., Kok B. Analysis of the interactions between the two photosystems in isolated chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Apr 2;153(3):635–652. doi: 10.1016/0005-2728(68)90191-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Joliot P. Kinetic studies of photosystem II in photosynthesis. Photochem Photobiol. 1968 Nov;8(5):451–463. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1968.tb05889.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KOK B. Photosynthesis in flashing light. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1956 Aug;21(2):245–258. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(56)90004-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Myers J., Clark L. B. CULTURE CONDITIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC MECHANISM : II. AN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS CULTURE OF CHLORELLA. J Gen Physiol. 1944 Nov 20;28(2):103–112. doi: 10.1085/jgp.28.2.103. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Myers J., Technical Assistance of Frank Ervin and Mary Lou Murray CULTURE CONDITIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC MECHANISM : IV. INFLUENCE OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON PHOTOSYNTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHLORELLA. J Gen Physiol. 1946 Jul 20;29(6):429–440. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Myers J., Technical Assistance of James Johnston and Helen Davis CULTURE CONDITIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC MECHANISM : III. INFLUENCE OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON CELLULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF CHLORELLA. J Gen Physiol. 1946 Jul 20;29(6):419–427. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Phillips J. N., Myers J. Growth Rate of Chlorella in Flashing Light. Plant Physiol. 1954 Mar;29(2):152–161. doi: 10.1104/pp.29.2.152. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Reger B. J., Krauss R. W. The photosynthetic response to a shift in the chlorophyll a to chlorophyll B ratio of chlorella. Plant Physiol. 1970 Oct;46(4):568–575. doi: 10.1104/pp.46.4.568. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schmid G. H., Gaffron H. Photosynthetic units. J Gen Physiol. 1968 Aug;52(2):212–239. doi: 10.1085/jgp.52.2.212. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES