Light-induced increase in free Mg2+ concentration in spinach chloroplasts: measurement of free Mg2+ by using a fluorescent probe and necessity of stromal alkalinization.

Free Mg(2+) in chloroplasts may contribute to the regulation of photosynthetic enzymes, but adequate methodology for the determination of free Mg(2+) concentration ([Mg(2+)]) in chloroplasts has been lacking. We measured internal chloroplast [Mg(2+)] by using a Mg-sensitive fluorescent indicator, mag-fura-2. In intact, dark-kept spinach chloroplasts, internal [Mg(2+)] was estimated to be 0.