Is Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate an Obligatory Intermediate in Photosynthesis?

Abstract

The site of action of the inhibitors disalicylidenepropanediamine and pyrophosphate was more closely defined as acting on ferredoxin. Three inhibitors which act on the electron transport path between ferredoxin and NADP: disalicylidenepropanediamine, pyrophosphate, and phosphoadenosinediphosphate ribose, had no effect on photosynthesis in cell free preparations of Dunaliela parva at concentrations which completely inhibited the enzymic activity on which each inhibitor acts. The addition of disalicylidenepropanediamine to dark-grown Euglena gracilis cells prevented the light-induced formation of NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, but not of photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis, or NAD-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.The above results are interpreted as indicating that, at least under some conditions, a reduced product of photosystem I preceding ferredoxin in the electron transport path can serve as the reductant of CO(2) in photosynthesis.