A carbonic anhydrase inhibitor induces bicarbonate-reversible suppression of electron transfer in pea photosystem 2 membrane fragments

The effects of suppression of the carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity by a CA-inhibitor, acetazolamide (AA), on the photosynthetic activities of photosystem II (PS II) particles from higher plants were investigated. AA along with CA-activity inhibits the PS II photosynthetic electron transfer and the AA-induced suppression is totally reversed by the addition of bicarbonate (3–5 mM). Similar effect of recovery in the PS II photosynthetic activity was also revealed upon the addition of known artificial electron donors (potassium ferrocyanide and TMPD). Significance and possible functions of CA for the PS II donor side are discussed.

► Acetazolamide inhibits CA-activity and the PS II photosynthetic electron transfer.
► Acetazolamide-induced suppression is totally reversed by the addition of bicarbonate.
► Similar effect was also revealed upon the addition of PS II electron donors.