Protein Metabolism Regulation

A 32-kilodalton membrane protein is abundantly synthesized and degraded in mature chloroplasts of Spirodela oligorrhiza. Light intensity controls the rates of production and breakdown, with the protein being unstable in the light and stable in the dark. ATP is required for light-driven synthesis but not decay. Herbicides that limit photosystem II electron transport, such as diuron and atrazine, prevent degradation. The 32-kilodalton protein's anabolism and catabolism are thus photoregulated, with breakdown linked to electron transport rather than phosphorylation.

Author(s): Sandy Atkinson

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