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A B Hope

Publications and source records attributed to A B Hope.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Electron Fluxes through Photosystem I in Cucumber Leaf Discs Probed by far-red Light.

Cucumber leaf discs were illuminated at room-temperature with far-red light to photo-oxidise P700, the chlorophyll dimer in Photosystem (PS) I. The post-illumination kinetics of P700(+) re-reduction were studied in the presence of inhibitors or cofactors of photosynthetic electron transport. The re-reduction kinetics of P700(+) were well fitted as the sum of three exponentials, each with its amplitude and rate coefficient, and an initial flux (at the instant of turning off far-red light) given as the product of the two. Each initial flux is assumed equal to a steady state flux during far-red illumination. The fast phase of re-reduction, with rate coefficient k (1) approximately 10 s(-1), was completely abolished by a saturating concentration of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU); it is attributed to electron flow to P700(+) from PS II, which was stimulated to some extent by far-red light. The intermediate phase, with rate coefficient k (1) approximately 1 s(-1), was only partly diminished by methyl viologen (MV) which diverts electron flow to oxygen. The intermediate phase is attributed to electron donation from reduced ferredoxin to the intersystem pool; reduced ferredoxin could be formed: (1) directly by electron donation on the acceptor of PS I; and/or (2) indirectly by stromal reductants, in line with only a partial inhibition of the intermediate phase by MV. Duroquinol enhanced the intermediate phase in the presence of DCMU, presumably through its interaction with thylakoid membrane components leading to the partial reduction of plastoquinone. The slow phase of P700(+) re-reduction, with rate coefficient k (1) approximately 0.1 s(-1), was unaffected by DCMU and only slightly affected by MV; it could be associated with electron donation to either: (1) the intersystem chain by stromal reductants catalysed by NAD(P)H dehydrogenase slowly; or (2) plastocyanin/P700(+) by ascorbate diffusing across the thylakoid membrane to the lumen. It is concluded that a post-illumination analysis of the fluxes to P700(+) can be used to probe the pathways of electron flow to PS I in steady state illumination.

Journal Article↗

Inhibition of photosystems I and II and enhanced back flow of photosystem I electrons in cucumber leaf discs chilled in the light.

Pre-illumination of cucumber leaf discs at a chilling temperature in low-irradiance white light resulted in accelerated re-reduction of P700(+) [the special Chl pair in the photosystem I (PSI) reaction centre] when the far-red measuring light was turned off. Measurements (in +/- methyl viologen or +/- DCMU conditions) of the re-reduction half time suggest that accelerated re-reduction of P700(+) appeared to be predominantly due to charge recombination and only partly due to reductants sustained by previous cyclic electron flow around PSI. Apparently, charge recombination in PSI was greatly enhanced by inhibition of forward, linear electron flow. Inhibition of PSII electron transport was observed to occur to a lesser extent than that of PSI, but only if the measurement of PSII functionality was free from complications due to downstream accumulation of electrons in pools. We suggest that promotion of controlled charge recombination and cyclic electron flow round PSI during chilling of leaves in the light may partly prevent further damage to both photosystems.

Chlorophyll↗

Electron transfers amongst cytochrome f, plastocyanin and photosystem I: kinetics and mechanisms.

The review covers the theory and practice of the determination of kinetic constants for the electron transfer reactions in chloroplast thylakoid membranes between plastocyanin and cytochrome f in cytochrome bf complexes, and between plastocyanin and the reaction centre of photosystem I. Effects of ionic strength and pH are featured. The contribution of mutant studies is included. It is concluded that nearly all data from in vitro experiments can be interpreted with a reaction scheme in which an encounter complex between donor and acceptor is formed by long-range electrostatic attraction, followed by rearrangement during which metal centres become close enough for rapid intra-complex electron transfer. In vivo experiments so far cast doubt on this particular sequence, but their interpretation is not straightforward. Means of modelling the bimolecular complex between cytochrome f and plastocyanin are outlined, and two likely structures are illustrated. The complex formed by plastocyanin and photosystem I in higher plants involves the PsaF subunit, but its structure has not been fully determined.

Chlorophyll↗

Greening of intermittent-light-grown bean plants in continuous light: thylakoid components in relation to photosynthetic performance and capacity for photoprotection.

Phaseolus vulgaris (cvv. Windsor longpod and snap bean) plants, etiolated during germination, were exposed to intermittent light (2 min light every 2 hr) for up to 68 hr and then transferred to continuous white light. On transfer of the plants to continuous light (100 photons mumol m-2 s-1, 24 degrees C), the quantum yield of oxygen evolution increased two-fold in about 30 hr. The chlorophyll content per unit leaf area or unit fresh weight increased dramatically, but the fresh weight per unit leaf area was relatively constant. The changes were expressed on the basis of fresh weight or leaf area. On this basis, the contents of photosystem (PS) I and II increased in continuous light, by a factor of 3 and 8, respectively. While the chlorophyll b content and the contents of apoproteins of light-harvesting chlorophyll-protein complexes (LHCIIb, CP29, CP26 and CP24) increased markedly, neither the total carotenoid content nor the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophylls [ratio of zeaxanthin(Z) + antheraxanthin(A) to (Z + A + violaxanthin) was about 0.4)] responded significantly on transfer to continuous light. The fast rise of the flash-induced electrochromic signal (delta A518) was well correlated with the increases in PS I and PS II reaction centres, and with chlorophyll b and total carotenoid contents. The increase in the quantum yield of oxygen evolution during greening in continuous light is attributed to a more balanced distribution of excitation energy between the two photosystems, facilitated by the increased number of PS II units, the increased antenna size of each unit and the enhancement of grana formation. The chloroplast in intermittent light was found to contain abundant xanthophyll cycle pigments and the psbS gene product, presumably adequate for photoprotection in continuous light as soon as chlorophyll a/b- protein complexes are synthesized. The results suggest that greening in continuous light is accompanied by adjustments that include enhanced quantum efficiency of photosynthesis and development of a capacity for harmless dissipation of excess excitation energy.

Fabaceae↗

Adenine nucleotide status, phosphoglycerate reduction and photosynthetic phosphorylation in a reconstituted chloroplast system.

The concentrations of ADP and ATP were measured during illumination of a reconstituted chloroplast system to which NADP(+), 3-phosphoglycerate and ribose 5-phosphate were successively added. Their effects on photosynthetic oxygen evolution and on the concentrations of ATP and ADP are discussed in terms of the regulation of photosynthetic carbon assimilation.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Electroosmosis in membranes: effects of unstirred layers and transport numbers. I. Theory.

When a current is passed through a membrane system, differences in transport numbers between the membrane and the adjacent solutions will, in general, result in depletion and enhancement of concentrations at the membrane-solution interfaces. This will be balanced by diffusion back into the bulk solution, diffusion of solute back across the membrane itself, and osmosis resulting from these local concentration gradients. The two main results of such a phenomenon are (1) that there is a current-induced volume flow, which may be mistaken for electroosmosis, and (2) that there will generally develop transient changes in potential difference (PD) across membranes during and after the passage of current through them.

Biological Transport↗

Electroosmosis in membranes: effects of unstirred layers and transport numbers. II. Experimental.

In an earlier paper, it was shown that the differences in transport numbers in membranes and adjacent solutions will result in a depletion and enhancement of the local concentration profiles at the appropriate interfaces. These should, in general, cause both current-induced volume flows and transient changes in membrane potential difference (PD). The predicted concentration changes were measured near an isolated segment of plant cell wall just after a current pulse. The current-induced volume flows observed were separated into a "transport number component" and an instantaneous, electroosmotic one for both cell walls and whole cells. For walls, the electroosmotic component contributed about 53 moles . Faraday(-1) to a total coefficient of 112 moles . Faraday(-1). For whole cells, the average electroosmotic component (for both hyperpolarizing and depolarizing currents) contributed about 38 moles . Faraday(-1) to a total of about 100 moles . Faraday(-1). There was good agreement between the magnitudes and time courses of the flows and membrane PD's predicted from the theory in the previous paper, and those measured in both cell walls and whole cells.

Biological Transport↗