Biochemical and Structural Correlations in Isolated Spinach Chloroplasts Under Isotonic and Hypotonic Conditions

Abstract

Methods are described for obtaining preparations of isolated spinach chloro-plasts which are predominantly either "whole", i.e. retain the outer limiting membrane, or "naked", i.e. with the outer membrane removed. The whole chloro-plasts are shown to retain more of their soluble components as evidenced by higher endogenous capacities for CO.-fixation, photophosphorylation, and light-dependent reduction of triphosphopyridine nucleotide. The isolation is also described of whole chloroplasts whose peripheral jackets have retained the property of mobility seen in living cells.