Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation participating in photosynthetic metabolism of a leaf cell

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Abstract
Oligomycin was used for the selective inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in barley leaf protoplasts. The addition of oligomycin inhibited the photosynthesis of intact protoplasts by 40–60%, this being accompanied by a pronounced decrease in cellular ATP content. When the protoplasts were ruptured in a way leaving the chloroplasts intact, the photosynthesis of the released chloroplasts was not inhibited by oligomycin. It is therefore concluded that in illuminated protoplasts, ATP formation by oxidative phosphorylation is required for utilization of the photosynthate by the cell. Thus, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation appears to serve an essential function for supplying the cytosol with ATP during photosynthesis.