Evaluating the Oxidation Rate of Reduced Ferredoxin in Arabidopsis thaliana Independent of Photosynthetic Linear Electron Flow: Plausible Activity of Ferredoxin-Dependent Cyclic Electron Flow around Photosystem I

The activity of ferredoxin (Fd)-dependent cyclic electron flow (Fd-CEF) around photosystem I (PSI) was determined in intact leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. The oxidation rate of Fd reduced by PSI (vFd) and photosynthetic linear electron flow activity are simultaneously measured under actinic light illumination. The vFd showed a curved response to the photosynthetic linear electron flow activity. In the lower range of photosynthetic linear flow activity with plastoquinone (PQ) in a highly reduced state, vFd clearly showed a linear relationship with photosynthetic linear electron flow activity. On the other hand, vFd increased sharply when photosynthetic linear electron flow activity became saturated with oxidized PQ as the net CO(2) assimilation rate increased. That is, under higher photosynthesis conditions, we observed excess vFd resulting in electron flow over photosynthetic linear electron flow. The situation in which excess vFd was observed was consistent with the previous Fd-CEF model. Thus, excess vFd could be attributed to the in vivo activity of Fd-CEF. Furthermore, the excess vFd was also observed in NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-deficient mutants localized in the thylakoid membrane. The physiological significance of the excessive vFd was discussed.