Chloroplast composition and structure differences in a soybean mutant.

A nuclear mutation of Glycine max (soybean) segregates 1:2:1 in regard to chlorophyll content. The heterozygous (LG) leaf blade contains about one-half the pigment content of the wild type (DG) per gram fresh weight. A lethal yellow (LY) type contains about 1 to 2% of the DG leaf pigment values. The chlorophyll a/b ratio in the LG is about 5 compared to about 2 in the DG. Protein/leaf values are lower in the LG and LY types when compared to DG. The LG plastid lamellae contain more protein/chlorophyll, cytochromes/chlorophyll, and quinones/chlorophyll than the DG. P(700)/chlorophyll values are similar in the DG and LG types.The chlorophyll-depleted LG and LY types had less total acyl lipids per leaf weight when compared to the DG type. Similar amounts of sulfolipid and phosphatidyl glycerol per protein residue weight were found in the LG and DG plastids; however, the monogalactosyl and digalactosyl diglycerides were reduced in the LG paralleling the chlorophyll depletion.Thin sections of leaf tissue show similar-sized LG and DG plastids but reduced grana formation in the LG. The LY has very few grana and very small grana compared to either DG or LG. The two characteristic particles revealed in higher plant chloroplasts by freeze-etching are about 15% smaller in the LG compared to the DG plants.