𝔖 Bobbio Scriptorium
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Isolation of intact chloroplasts with high CO2fixation capacity from sugarbeet leaves containing calcium oxalate

✍ Scribed by S. P. Robinson


Book ID
104619598
Publisher
Springer
Year
1983
Tongue
English
Weight
341 KB
Volume
4
Category
Article
ISSN
0166-8595

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✦ Synopsis


Intact chloroplasts were isolated from sugarbeet leaves by the mechanical disruption technique normaUy used for spinach. The chloroplast pellet contained a ring of white irregularly shaped crystals which were identified as calcium oxalate. The chloroplasts were greater than 90% intact yet good rates of CO 2 fixation were only obtained when inorganic pyrophosphate or 3-phosphoglycerate were added to the assay medium. Chloroplasts free of calcium oxalate were prepared by purification on a three step Percoll gradient. These purified chloroplasts were highly intact and showed high rates of C0a fixation without adding inorganic pyrophosphate or 3-phosphoglycerate. With optimal assay conditions (0.2 mM orthophosphate and pH 8.0) rates of 110-130 ~ mole per milligram chlorophyll per hour were routinely obtained. It is concluded that intact chloroplasts capable of high rates of C% fixation can be prepared from sugarbeet leaves using a simple three step Percoll gradient.