On 'Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts: I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation' by Robert L. Heath and Lester Packer

This commentary concerns a highly cited paper by Robert L Heath and Lester Packer in Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics published in 1968. Chloroplasts are organelles in algae and plants that use light energy for carbon fixation and oxygen production. These authors discovered that isolated chloroplasts exposed to visible light undergo a cyclic peroxidation of tri-unsaturated fatty acids, contributing to the double-edged sword concept of electron transfer reactions.

Automated summary

This commentary discusses a highly cited paper by Robert L Heath and Lester Packer, published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics in 1968. The paper reveals that isolated chloroplasts undergo cyclic peroxidation of tri-unsaturated fatty acids when exposed to visible light, contributing to the concept of electron transfer reactions.