Starch Degradation in Isolated Spinach Chloroplasts

Abstract

A method for loading isolated intact spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts with (14)C-starch is described. These intact chloroplasts were incubated aerobically in the dark for 30 minutes. Radioactivity in starch declined and glyceric acid 3-phosphate and maltose were the major radioactive products. It is proposed that starch is degraded within the chloroplast to glyceric acid 3-phosphate and to maltose.