The isolated pigment-protein complex PS1 of cyanobacteria occurs in 5 multiple forms after electrophoretic separation on polyacrylamide gel. Mutual conversion and the relative representation of individual forms is influenced by the presence of the anionic detergent SDS, its concentration and the relative SDS/chlorophyll ratio, the decisive factor being the final detergent concentration, while the SDS-chlorophyll ratio has no particular effect on complex stability. The decomposition rate in the sequential reactions is distinctly dependent on SDS incubation time and temperature.