A light-enhanced metabolism of sulfite in cells of Cucumis sativus L. cotyledons.

The effects of light and several photosynthetic inhibitors on the rate of sulfite metabolism in cells obtained from Cucumis sativus L. cotyledons was studied. The cells were treated with 200 μM Na2SO3 and the disappearance of sulfite was monitored using either dithiobisnitrobenzoic acid or fuchsin. The rate of sulfite disappearance in light was double the dark rate. Disalicylidene propanediamine at 1 mM increased this light-enhanced metabolism approx. 50%; neither 1 μM 3,4-dichlorophenyl-N,N-dimethylurea nor 0.1 mM cyanazine, which completely inhibited CO2-dependent oxygen evolution, affected the rate of sulfite metabolism. Addition of 200 μM Na2SO3 to the cells partially inhibited (14)CO2 fixation. The rate of sulfite consumption by the cells did not affect this inhibition. We conclude that light-dependent sulfite metabolism is cucumber cells may utilize reduced ferredoxin generated as a result of photosynthetic electron transport. An injurious interaction between CO2 fixation and sulfite appears to occur independently of the sulfite-metabolism process.