Electron transport pathways in isolated chromoplasts from Narcissus pseudonarcissus L

International audienceDuring daffodil flower development, chloroplasts differentiate into photosynthetically inactive chromoplasts having lost functional photosynthetic reaction centers. Chromoplasts exhibit a respiratory activity reducing oxygen to water and generating ATP. Immunoblots revealed the presence of the plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX), the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NDH) complex, the cytochrome b6f complex, ATP synthase and several isoforms of ferredoxin‐NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) and of ferredoxin (Fd). Fluorescence spectroscopy allowed the detection of chlorophyll a in the cytochrome b6f complex. Here we characterize the electron transport pathway of chromorespiration by using specific inhibitors for the NDH complex, the cytochrome b6f complex, FNR and redox‐inactive Fd in which the iron was replaced by gallium. Our data suggest an electron flow via two separate pathways, both reducing plastoquinone and using PTOX as oxidase. The first oxidizes NADPH via FNR, Fd, and cytochrome bh of the cytochrome b6f complex and does not result in the pumping of protons across the membrane. In the second, electron transport takes place via the NDH complex using both, NADH and NADPH, as electron donor. FNR and Fd are not involved in this pathway. The NDH‐complex is responsible for the generation of the proton gradient. We propose a model for chromorespiration which may also be relevant for the understanding of chlororespiration and for the characterization of the electron input from Fd to the cytochrome b6f complex during cyclic electron transport in chloroplasts