The Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain of Chlamydomonas reinhardi

The 520 nm light-induced absorbance change in wild-type and 4 mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardi was investigated. In the wild-type strain the absorbance change is composed of at least 2 components, P520 I and P520 II, sensitized by Systems I and II respectively. Some of the properties of these components can be studied by using the appropriate photosynthetic mutant strain. A group of mutant strains modified in the photochemical complex of System II shows only the P520 I absorbance change, whereas a mutant strain deficient in active P700 exhibits only the P520 II absorbance change. The possible relationship between these absorbance changes and the photosynthetic electron transport pathway is discussed.