Glucose Transport into Spinach Chloroplasts

The uptake of radioactively labeled hexoses and pentoses into the sorbitol-impermeable (3)H(2)O space (the space surrounded by the inner envelope membrane) of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts has been studied using silicone layer filtering centrifugation. Of the compounds tested, d-xylose, d-mannose, l-arabinose, and d-glucose are transported most rapidly, followed by d-fructose and l-arabinose. The rate of l-glucose uptake is only about 5% of that of d-glucose.The transport of d-glucose and d-fructose shows saturation characteristics, the K(m) for d-glucose was found to be about 20 mm. All sugars transport and phloretin inhibit d-glucose transport. The temperature dependency of d-glucose transport appears to have an activation energy of 17 kcal/mol.With low external concentrations of d-glucose the transport into the chloroplasts proceeds until nearly the external concentration is reached inside the chloroplasts.d-glucose transport is inhibited by high d-glucose concentrations in the medium. It is concluded that d-glucose and other hexoses are transported by carrier-mediated diffusion across the inner envelope membrane. This transport is similar to the transport of d-glucose into erythrocytes.