Toxic Effects of Copper on Photosystem II of Spinach Chloroplasts

The room temperature fluorescence induction of chloroplasts was utilized as a probe to locate the site of inhibition on PSII by copper. It was found that, while the initial fluorescence yield was hardly affected, the variable fluorescence yield was lowered without significant change in its kinetics. Addition of DCMU, or abolishing oxygen evolution capability by Tris treatment, did not alter this basic inhibition pattern. Copper was also found to lower the fluorescence yield of chloroplasts treated with linolenic acid which inhibited the secondary electron transport on both oxidizing and reducing sides of PSII. The data indicate that copper adversely affects the primary charge separation at the PSII reaction center. We suggest that the inhibition is due to creation of a lesion close to the reaction center, leading to increased dissipation of incoming excitation energy to heat.