[The structure of biological membranes: localization of sulfoquinovosyldiglyceride in various membranes of chloroplasts using specific antibodies]

Abstract

The sulfoquinovosyl pole of at least a part of the sulfolipid molecule, in the envelope and the thylakoids of chloroplasts, is accessible to the specific antibody. Agglutination of the chloroplasts is due to the sulfolipid which is located on the envelope and uniformly distributed on the external surface. Reactivity of the sulfolipid located on the membrane of thylakoids, when exposed to the corresponding antibody, appears to be different from the sulfolipid reactivity of the envelope: the antibody fails to agglutinate the thylakoids. Thylakoids altered by osmotic chock are sensitized to agglutination. Immunoenzymatic studies followed by electron microscopy revealed the presence of the sulfolipid on the membrane of the various thylakoids. The local reactions did not appear to be continous.