10/9/13

Plant Physiology Online: Antagonistic Effects of Light on Cytochrome Oxidation

A Com panion to Plant Physiology, Fifth Edition by Lincoln Taiz and Eduardo Zeiger

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Topic 7.4
Antagonistic Effects of Light on Cytochrome Oxidation
The puzzling red drop and enhancement effects shown in textbook Figures 7.12 and 7.13 were explained by experiments performed by Louis Duysens of the Netherlands (Duysens et al. 1961). He suggested that two phototchemical events were responsible for enhancement effects. One photochemical event produced an oxidation while the other produced a reduction. Chloroplasts contain cytochromes, iron-containing proteins that function as intermediate electron carriers in photosynthesis (see textbook Figure 7.22). Duysens found that when a sample of a red alga was illuminated with long-wavelength light, the cytochrome became mostly oxidized. If light of a shorter wavelength was also present, the effect was partly reversed (Web Figure 7.4.A). These antagonistic effects can be explained by a mechanism involving two photochemical events: one that tended to oxidize the cytochrome and one that tended to reduce it (Hill and Bendall 1960).

Web Figure 7.4.A Antagonistic e ffe cts of light on cytochrom e ox idation. Far-re d light is ve ry e ffe ctive in ox idizing the cytochrom e f in the chloroplast. If gre e n light is also pre se nt, som e of the cytochrom e be com e s re duce d. The two wave le ngths have opposite e ffe ctshe nce the te rm "antagonistic." This e x pe rim e nt is one of the cle are st de m onstrations of the e x iste nce of two photoche m ical syste m s in photosynthe sis: one that re duce s cytochrom e and one that ox idize s it. This particular e x pe rim e nt was done with a re d alga, in which photosyste m II (se e te x tbook Figure 7.14) is drive n be st by gre e n light, and photosyste m I is drive n be st by far-re d light. (Afte r Duyse ns e t al. 1961.)

We know now that in the red region of the spectrum, one of the photoreactions, known as photosystem I (PS-I), absorbs preferentially far-red light of wavelengths greater than 680 nm, while the second, known as photosystem II (PS-II), absorbs red light of 680 nm well and is driven very poorly by far-red light. This wavelength dependence explains the enhancement effect and the red drop effect. Another difference between the photosystems is that Photosystem I produces a strong reductant, capable of reducing NADP +, and a weak oxidant. Photosystem II produces a very strong oxidant, capable of oxidizing water, and a weaker reductant than the one produced by photosystem I. This reductant of photosystem II re5e.plantphys.net/article.php?ch=7&id=69 1/2

10/9/13

Plant Physiology Online: Antagonistic Effects of Light on Cytochrome Oxidation

reduces the oxidant produced by photosystem I (see textbook Figure 7.14), which explains the antagonistic effect. HOME :: CHAPTER 7 :: Topic 7.4 PREVIOUS :: NEXT

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