Exposure of Arabidopsis plants that were maintained under low light (200 pmol of photons m-2 sec-I) to excess light (2000 pmol of photons m-2 sec-I) for 1 hr caused reversible photoinhibition of photosynthesis. Measurements of photosynthetic parameters and the use of electron transport inhibitors indicated that a nove1 signal transduction pathway was initiated at plastoquinone and regulated, at least in part, by the redox status of the plastoquinone pool. This signal, which preceded the photooxidative burst of hydrogen peroxide (H202) associated with photoinhibition of photosynthesis, resulted in a rapid increase (within 15 min) in mRNA levels of two cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase genes ( A f X 1 and APX2). Treatment of leaves with exogenous reduced glutathione abolished this signal, suggesting that glutathione or the redox status of the glutathione pool has a regulatory impact on this signaling pathway. During recovety from photooxidative stress, transcripts for cytosolic glutathione reductase (GOR2) increased, emphasizing the role of glutathione in this stress.