Chlorophyll, carotenoid, and lipid content in Triticum sativum L. plastid envelopes, prolamellar bodies, stroma lamellae, and grana.

The pigment and lipid content, expressed on a protein basis, is compared in wheat etioplast and chloroplast membrane fractions. Chloroplast envelopes contain less carotenoid and 1/3 more lipid than etioplast envelopes. The minute amount of chlorophyll and carotenoid found in chloroplast envelopes could be due to thylakoid contamination. Prolamellar bodies and grana have nearly the same amount of total lipid and total carotenoid per mg of protein although their respective compositions differ. On a protein basis, the lipid, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents are lower (2.3, 10, and 20 times, respectively) in stroma lamellae than in grana membranes, but the latter contains a higher proportion of β-carotene, chlorophyll a, and sulfolipid.