Transfer of tightly-bound tritium from the chloroplast membranes to CF1 is activated by the photophosphorylation process.

Isolated thylakoids were incubated for 14-16 h in the buffer containing 3-6 mCi T2O/ml and then resedimented and suspended in non-radioactive medium. It was found that illumination of thylakoids induced an increase in radioactivity level in CF1 isolated from these thylakoids. Such effect was observed only if photophosphorylation substrates (ADP and phosphate or arsenate) were added to the medium during illumination. The light-induced ADP and arsenate-dependent incorporation of tritium into CF1 was suppressed by DCCD and inhibited by low gramicidin concentrations to the same extent as photophosphorylation.