Biosynthesis of galactosyl diglycerides by non-green fractions from chloroplasts.

When either mitochondria, chloroplast stroma lamellae, or osmotically shocked chloroplasts were centrifuged through sucrose gradients, zones were always obtained at the 0.6 M-0.9 M boundary which were highly active in galactosyltransferase. These activities did not coincide with maxima for chlorophyll or cytochrome c oxidase activity. A second chlorophyll-free fraction was obtained at lower density, showing high galactosyltransferase activity when incubated after isolation. The results indicate that the highly active fractions originate from chloroplast envelopes.