This course of, occurring throughout the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts, represents an alternate electron pathway through the light-dependent reactions. As a substitute of electrons shifting linearly from water to NADPH, they cycle from photosystem I (PSI) again to the cytochrome b6f complicated. This, in flip, contributes to the proton gradient throughout the thylakoid membrane, driving ATP synthesis by way of chemiosmosis. The first output of this pathway is ATP; importantly, no NADPH or oxygen is produced on this remoted circuit.
A vital perform is to steadiness the ATP to NADPH ratio throughout the chloroplast. When NADPH ranges are excessive and the Calvin cycle’s demand for ATP will increase, this pathway turns into extra prevalent. This ensures adequate ATP manufacturing for carbon fixation. Moreover, it could provide photoprotective advantages underneath circumstances of excessive gentle depth, stopping photoinhibition by diverting electron circulate away from NADPH manufacturing. Analysis suggests its evolutionary significance might lie in its presence in early photosynthetic organisms going through totally different environmental stressors.