Inhibition of Oxygen Evolution in Chloroplasts Isolated from Leaves with Low Water Potentials

Abstract
Chloroplasts were isolated from pea and sunflower leaves having various water potentials. Oxygen evolution by the chloroplasts was measured under identical conditions for all treatments with saturating light and with dichloroindophenol as oxidant. Evolution was inhibited when leaf water potentials were below -12 bars in pea and -8 bars in sunflower and the inhibition was proportional to leaf water potential below these limits. Inhibition was more severe in sunflower than in pea chloroplasts. In sunflower, it could be detected after 5 minutes of leaf desiccation, and, up to 1 hour, the effect was independent of the duration of low leaf water potential.