Cells of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, strain 37b4, leu-, precultivated anaerobically under low light intensity, were exposed to high light intensity (2000 W.m-2). The cells grew with a mass doubling time of 3 h. The synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) began after two doublings of cell mass. Reaction center and light-harvesting BChl I (B-875) were the main constituents of the photosynthetic apparatus incorporated into the membrane. The size of the photosynthetic unit (total BChl/reaction center) decreased and light-harvesting BChl I became the dominating BChl species. Concomitant with the appearance of the different spectral forms of BChl the respective proteins were incorporated into the membrane, i.e. the three reaction center polypeptides, the polypeptide associated with light-harvesting BChl I, the two polypeptides associated with BChl II. A polypeptide of an apparent molecular weight of 45 000 was also incorporated. A lowering of the light intensity to 7 W.m-2 resulted in a lag phase of growth for 6 h. Afterwards, the time for doubling of cell mass was 11 h. The concentration of all three BChl complexes (reaction center, light-harvesting BChl I and II complexes)/cell and per membrane protein increased immediately. Also the size of the photosynthetic unit and the amount of intracytoplasmic membranes/cell increased. The activities of photophosphorylation, succinate dehydrogenase, NADH dehydrogenase and NADH oxidation (respiratory chain)/membrane protein are higher in membrane preparations isolated from cells grown at high light intensities than in such preparations from cells grown at low light intensities.