An active Mehler-peroxidase reaction sequence can prevent cyclic PS I electron transport in the presence of dioxygen in intact spinach chloroplasts.

Simultaneous measurements of 9-aminoacridine (9-AA) fluorescence quenching, O2-uptake and chlorophyll fluorescence of intact spinach chloroplasts were carried out to assess the relationship between the transthylakoidal ΔpH and linear electron flux passing through Photosystem II. Three different types of O2-dependent electron flow were investigated: (1) Catalysed by methyl viologen; (2) in the absence of a catalyst and presence of an active ascorbate peroxidase (Mehler-peroxidase reaction); (3) in the absence of a catalyst and with the ascorbate peroxidase being inhibited by KCN (Mehler reaction). The aim of this study was to assess the relative contribution of ΔpH-formation which is not associated with electron flow through Photosystem II and, which should reflect Photosystem I cyclic flow under the different conditions. The relationship between the extent of 9-AA fluorescence quenching and O2-uptake rate was found to be almost linear when methyl viologen was present. In the absence of methyl viologen (Mehler reaction) an increase of 9-AA fluorescence quenching to a value of 20% at low light intensities was associated with considerably less O2-uptake than in the presence of methyl viologen, indicating the involvement of cyclic flow. These findings are in agreement with a preceding study of Kobayashi and Heber (1994). However, when no KCN was added, such that the complete Mehler-peroxidase reaction sequence was operative, the relationship between 9-AA fluorescence quenching and the flux through PS II, as measured via the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter ΔF/Fm' × PAR, was identical to that observed in the presence of methyl viologen. Under the assumption that methyl viologen prevents cyclic flow, it is concluded that there is no significant contribution of cyclic electron flow to ΔpH-generation in intact spinach chloroplasts.