Intrathylakoid pH in Isolated Pea Chloroplasts as Probed by Violaxanthin Deepoxidation

Light-driven violaxanthin deepoxidation was measured in isolated pea (Pisum sativum) chloroplasts without ATP synthesis (basal conditions) and with ATP synthesis (coupled conditions). Thylakoids stored in high salt (HS) or low salt (LS) storage medium were tested. In previous experiments, HS thylakoids and LS thylakoids were related to delocalized and localized proton coupling, respectively.Light-driven deepoxidase activity was compared to the pH dependence of deepoxidase activity established in dark reactions. At an external pH of 8, light-driven deepoxidation indicated effective pH values close to pH 6 for all reaction conditions. Parallel to deepoxidation, the thylakoid lumen pH was estimated by the fluorescent dye pyranine.In LS thylakoids under coupled conditions the lumen pH did not drop below pH 6.7. At pH 6.7, no deepoxidase activity is expected based on the pH dependence of enzyme activity. The results suggest that deepoxidation activity is controlled by the pH in sequestered membrane domains, which, under localized proton coupling, can be maintained at pH 6.0 when the lumen pH is far above pH 6.0. The extent of violaxanthin conversion (availability), however, appeared to be regulated by lumenal pH. Dithiothreitol-sensitive nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence was dependent on zeaxanthin and not related to lumenal pH. Thus, zeaxanthin-dependent quenching[mdash]known to be pH dependent[mdash]appeared to be triggered by the pH of localized membrane domains.