TITLE	Pigment solubilization of the chloroplast thylakoid membranes by a surfactant
AUTHOR	Chi-Ming Yang Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan 115, Republic of China Jen-Chieh Hsu Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan 115, Republic of China Yih-Kuang Lu Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan 115, Republic of China Ming-Horng Yin Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan 115, Republic of China
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ABSTRACT	We examined the influence of various concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the pigment solubilization of the chloroplast thylakoid membranes isolated from leaves at different developing stages of normal and Golden-leaves figs (Ficus microcarpa). When the SDS concentration was lower than 10-5 %, more carotenoids, especially neoxanthin, were released than chlorophyll (Chl), and more Chl b was released than Chl a. When SDS concentration was between 10-5 % and 10-3 %, more Chl molecules were released than carotenoids. As the SDS concentration was increased above 10-3 %, all Chl molecules and carotenoids were solubilized. Among the solubilized carotenoids, the release sequence from thylakoid membrane may be neoxanthin, antheraxanthin, (lutein, violaxanthin, taraxanthin, b-carotene), a-carotene, and zeaxanthin. We conclude that in the pigment-protein complexes, carotenoids (especially neoxanthin) are more susceptible to SDS than Chl molecules, that Chl b is more susceptible to SDS than Chl a, and that neoxanthin may be directly exposed to the stroma face of the thylakoid membrane.
KEYWORD	Carotenoid; Chlorophyll; Neoxanthin; Pigment-protein complex; Release sequence; Solubilization; Surfactant; Thylakoid membrane;
ARTICLE INFO	Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Volume 37 Number 2 April 1996, page 121-126, 6 pages
PUBLISHER	Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China