A PATCH-CLAMP METHOD FOR DETERMINING SINGLE TURNOVER CHARGE SEPARATIONS IN THE CHLOROPLAST MEMBRANE

This report describes the application of the chloroplast patching tech nique to study the primary electrogenic events in the thylakoid membra ne. It is shown that by applying single turnover saturating light flas hes the actual number of functional charge transferring reaction cente r channels in the thylakoid membrane and the voltage generated by this charge transfer can be determined in a single individual chloroplast. Moreover, low conducting barriers between the thylakoid membrane and the adjacent lumenal and stromal phases, respectively, are likely to e xist.