α-OXIDASE ACTIVITY IN PLANTS AS PROMOTOR OF ELECTRONIC ENERGY |
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| Authors: | ANA CAMPA MARTA SALIM-HANNA GIUSEPPE CILENTO |
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| Institution: | Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, C.P. 20780, São Paulo 01498, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Abstract The a-oxidase activity of higher plants acting on long chain fatty acids generates the lower aldehyde in the ground state; however if chlorophyll or chioroplasts are present the chlorophylls are excited most likely by a chemically initiated electron exchange (CIEEL) luminescence process with the putative a-peroxylactone intermediate. When the aldehyde is substituted for the acid, the lower aldehyde appears in the triplet state. The chiral discrimination observed in the quenching by D- and L-tryptophan of the chlorophyll sensitized emission indicates that the triplet aldehyde is generated within the enzymatic preparation and transfers energy while still bound to the enzyme.
Chlorophylls in chioroplasts are excited by addition of a long chain fatty acid or aldehyde. The mechanism, however, is unknown. |
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