Linear Dichroism of Chloroplasts and Subchloroplast Fractions Oriented by Flow

Chloroplasts as well as subchloroplast vesicles show linear dichroism (LD) when subjected to a hydrodynamic gradient. LD is positive for the ππ in-plane polarized bands indicating that the chlorophyll porphyrin ring is in average oriented parallel1 to the elongated membrane surfaces. The vesicle fraction enriched inphotosystem I1 shows lower LD/A at 660 nm indicating lower average orientation of chlorophyll and the fraction enriched in photosystem I shows higher LD/A at 700 nm indicating that P700 is more oriented than the bulk chlorophyll