Formation of electrical field accompanying temperature jump in isolated spinach chloroplasts

Temperature-jump-induced absorbance changes of spinach chloroplasts in the dark were studied. After the temperature rise, a fast absorbance decrease and a succeeding slow absorbance increase were observed at the wavelength of 515 nm. The spectrum of the fast phase had positive maxima (increase in absorbance) at 430, 470 and 673 nm and a negative maxima (decrease in absorbance) at 525 nm. Permeant ions, tetraphenylboron-, tetraphenylarsonium+, and tetraphenylphosphonium+, decreased the extent of the fast absorbance change and increased the rate of slow recovery. Additions of inorganic potassium salts had a similar effect. Valinomycin, added in the presence of potassium ion, also increased the rate of slow recovery. These ions and ionophore had a parallel effect also on the recovery of flash-induced 515-nm absorbance change in chloroplasts. Electroneutral nigerericin did not affect the temperature-jump-induced absorbanc change. These results suggest the formation of electrical field across the thylakoid membrane in the dark accompanying the temperature rise. A possible involvement of the movement of water molecules (thermo-osmosis) in the observed absorbance changes is also discussed.