Abstract: | In experiments in which RuDP carboxylase activity was used asa marker for the integrity of isolated chloroplasts, more than90% of the starch synthase activity and more than 80% of theADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase activity of spinach leaves wasfound to be located in chloroplasts. Less than 2% of the UDP-glucosepyrophosphorylase was associated with chloroplasts. The activityof starch synthase per chloroplast remained almost constantduring plastid replication in developing leaves on whole plantsand in leaf discs cultured for 7 d on agar under different lightconditions. The ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase activity of chloroplastsincreased during leaf development and was much lower in dark-growntissues. The results suggest that the synthesis of starch iscontrolled by the synthesis of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylaseas well as by the previously known control of activity by metabolitessuch as 3-phosphoglyceric acid and inorganic phosphate. |