In vitro cyclic electron transport in barley thylakoids follows two independent pathways

In vitro cyclic electron transport around PSI was studied in thylakoids isolated from barley (Hordeum volgare L.). Redox poising was obtained by using anaerobic conditions, preillumination, and the addition of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea. Postillumination rates of P700(+) re-reduction of 1 to 5 electrons s(-1) were observed, depending on the conditions. The thylakoids supported two parallel paths of cyclic electron transport that were distinguishable by differences in antimycin sensitivity, saturation characteristics, and substrate specificity. The pathway most sensitive to antimycin was not saturated at ferredoxin concentrations up to 50 mu M, whereas the more insensitive pathway was saturated at 5 mu M ferredoxin. At the lower concentration of reduced ferredoxin, the antimycin-sensitive rate of P700(+) re-reduction was lower than the antimycin-insensitive rate. The lower range of reduced ferredoxin concentrations are closer to in vivo conditions. Flavodoxin is shown to mediate cyclic electron transport. Flavodoxin was less efficient in mediating the antimycin-sensitive pathway but mediated the antimycin-insensitive pathway as efficiently as ferredoxin. Antibodies raised against ferredoxin:NADP(+) oxidoreductase had no effect on either pathway for re-reduction of P700(+). However, the ferredoxin: NADP(+) oxidoreductase inhibitor 2'-monophosphoadenosine-5'-diphosphoribose was able to inhibit the antimycin-sensitive as well as the antimycin-insensitive pathway.