EXCITATION OF CHLOROPLASTS INDUCED BY PHENYLACETALDEHYDE

Abstract
Chloroplasts promote a slow oxygen consumption by phenylacetaldehyde. The latter elicits a sustained red emission and induces reduction of tetrazolium blue. Addition of horseradish peroxidase greatly increases both O2 uptake and the initial light emission, but has little or no effect upon the reduction of tetrazolium blue. These results indicate that chlorophylls in chloroplasts can be efficiently excited in the absence of light.