effect of pH on the products of photosynthesis in 14CO2 by chloroplast preparations from Acetabularia mediterranea

The effect of pH on the pathways of carbon in photosynthesis was examined in chloroplast preparations from Acetabularia mediterranea. The flow of carbon into a number of photosynthetic intermediates, particularly sucrose, glycine, serine, glycolate, and the insoluble fraction, was strongly influenced by pH. At higher pH a much larger portion of the 14C entered intermediates of the glycolate pathway. Although maximal apparent photosynthesis occurred at pH 7.6 to 7.7, cytoplasmic pH was found to be 8.0 to 8.4, using indicators. The pattern of distribution of 14C in intermediates of whole cells was closest to that in chloroplasts at the higher pH range.