[Application of autocorrelation analysis to the study of conformational changes in chloroplasts]

The process of conformational oscilations of chloroplasts has been studied using autocorrelation analysis technique. The process is shown to differ from the non-correlated random process of "white noise" type. Four types of autocorrelogram have been obtained which are characteristic of the phone oscilations of chloroplast cross-section area in time. The authors suggest that the different types of autocorrelograms are due to the different possible states of chloroplasts. The periodical components with the frequency of 16; 10--11; 8; 4; 2; 0.5 and 0.3 hertz have been obtained in the kinetics of chloroplast cross-section changes. Two magnitude ranges have been found for the moment of first zero volume in autocorrelation function (ACF): 5--10 and 15--20 shifts. ACF slow attenuation towards zero may be due to quite a good organization of the process of chloroplast conformational oscilations and availability of the well-developed control system of adaptive type.