Involvement of Stromal ATP in the Light Activation of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/oxygenase in Intact Isolated Chloroplasts

Light activation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) and stromal ATP content were measured in intact isolated spinach chloroplasts. Treatments which decreased stromal ATP, such as incubation with the ATP analog beta,gamma-methylene adenosine triphosphate or with the energy transfer inhibitor phloridzin inhibited the light activation of rubisco. In the absence of added inorganic phosphate (Pi), light activation of rubisco was inhibited, coincident with low stromal ATP. Addition of methyl viologen restored both stromal ATP and rubisco activity to levels observed in the presence of Pi. Activation of rubisco was inhibited in the presence of 2 millimolar dihydroxyacetone phosphate or 3-phosphoglycerate and stromal ATP was also decreased under these conditions. Both were partially restored by increasing the Pi concentration. The strong correlation between activation state of rubisco and stromal ATP concentration in intact chloroplasts under a wide variety of experimental conditions indicates that light activation of rubisco is dependent on ATP and proportional to the ATP concentration. These observations can be explained in terms of the rubisco activase protein, which mediates activation of rubisco at physiological concentrations of CO(2) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate and is dependent upon ATP.