Electron spin resonance study of chloroplast photosynthetic activity in the presence of amphiphilic amines

Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) was used to study the effects of amphiphilic amines of the carbamate, amide, and ester type and amine oxide on the photosynthetic system of spinach chloroplasts. The ESR signal II connected to the photosynthetic center PS II donor side was observed to diminish in the presence of amines, whereas that of PS I remained unchanged. The inhibition of PS II increased with the increasing of amine concentration. In the presence of amines, the light: dark chloroplast ESR signals ratio as well as the intensity of the ESR signal of unbound Mn2+ increased. It is suggested that the amphiphilic amines affect the structure of PS II and the electron transfer to PS I. The effects of the amines tested on the photosynthetic system correlate with their potency to perturb the lipid membrane structure.