Abstract
Triazine treatment of thylakoid membranes isolated from the primary leaves of Zea mays L. showed an 80% inhibition of photosystem (PS) 2 activity. No detectable change of PS 1 activity was found. The inhibited membranes showed a selective reduction of the most unsaturated linolenic acid (C-18:3) biosynthesis by about 15% coupled with a corresponding increase in stearic (C-18:0), oleic (C-18:1) and linoleic (C-18:2) acids. Thus the inhibition of electron transfer of PS 2 induced by triazine treatment was followed by lipid peroxidation and changes in the thylakoid membrane fluidity.