An improved procedure for the isolation of intact chloroplasts of high photosynthetic capacity

An improved procedure for the mechanical isolation of chloroplasts of high degree of intactness (90-95%) and photosynthetic capacity (25-50 mmol of O2/s per mol of chlorophyll) is described. The combination of pea plants (Pisum sativum L.) as starting material and the high reproducibility of the procedure readily and cheaply yields reliable intact chloroplasts for photosynthetic studies.