REGULATION OF CO2 ASSIMILATION IN OXYGENIC PHOTOSYNTHESIS - THE FERREDOXIN THIOREDOXIN SYSTEM - PERSPECTIVE ON ITS DISCOVERY, PRESENT STATUS, AND FUTURE-DEVELOPMENT

It is well established that light functions in photosynthesis by providing the assimilatory power (ATP and NADPH) for the "dark" reactions, historically known as the synthesis of carbohydrate from carbon dioxide. Research during the past two and a half decades has revealed that light makes yet another contribution to the overall photosynthetic process: to provide specific regulatory agents that enable the dark reactions to function more effectively (Fig. 1). The purpose of this article is to give a brief account of this regulatory function, emphasizing the ferredoxin/thioredoxin system. The discussion includes a brief description of the history of the system, its current status, and how knowledge of the system may be used in the future. © 1991.