The progress in research on the reduced nicotinamide adenine Di(tri)-nucleotide phosophate [NAD(P)H] dehydrogenase complex and chlororespiration

Besides the non-cyclic electron transport driven by the two photosystems (PSII and PSI), the cyclic electron transport pathways around PSI are also essential for efficient photosynthesis. As one of these pathways, the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase complex (NDH complex) mediated cyclic electron transport has been well studied. Along with the identification of the plastid terminal oxydase (PTOX), the functions of NDH-mediated cyclic and chlororepiratory electron transport in energy supply for photosynthesis as well as in the resistance to photooxidative stress have increasingly been brought to the researchers' attention. In the present paper, the structural characteristics of NDH complex, the regulatory mechanism, and the physiological significance of NDH mediated cyclic electron transport and chlororespiration are reviewed.