Lifetimes of photosynthetic complexes in higher plants

Plants need to precisely adjust the capacity of photosynthetic electron transport to produce ATP and NADPH to their consumption by the Calvin cycle. Otherwise, an overcapacity of electron transport would lead to an increased production of reactive oxygen species and the destruction of the photosynthetic apparatus. To avoid this, the electron transport capacity is regulated by adjustments of the rate-limiting cytochrome b₆f complex. We have analyzed the contribution of complex biogenesis versus degradation to this adjustment.