The effect of bicarbonate ions on induction of Mg2e-ATPase activity, on the N-ethylmaleimide inhibition of phosphorylation and on energydependent adenine nucleotide exchange has been examined with pea seedling chloroplasts. ATP synthesis is stimuiated by bicarbonate in chloroplasts which lack the capacity to fix CO2 (2,8,10,20,21). It had been suggested (8) that the site of action for bicarbonate in producing this effect is at the level of the interaction between the energized thylakoid membrane and the CF12. In the present study, the effect of bicarbonate on the following light-dependent reactions: Mg2+-ATPase activity (3, 4), [32PJPi-ATP exchange activity (6), inhibition of phosphorylation by maleimides (11, 13, 14, 16) and adenine nucleotide exchange (5,9,15,19,22,25,27)