Organization and Function of Chlorophyll in Membranes of Cyanobacteria during Iron Starvation

Cells of Anacystis nidulans strain R2 and of Synechococcus cedrorum were grown in an iron-deficient medium. Iron starvation induced several pronounced effects without influencing the viability of these cells. The phycocyanin and chlorophyll contents of these cells were depressed, and the absorption maxima of membrane-bound chlorophyll was blue-shifted by 5 nanometers. Cells showed a dramatic increase in original and in maximal chlorophyll fluorescence when monitored at room temperature. Low temperature chlorophyll fluorescence revealed a loss in fluorescence at 696 and 716 nanometers; much of the remaining fluorescence emission was at 686 nanometers. These changes suggest an alteration of membrane composition and structure. This was documented by an electrophoretic analysis of iron-deficient membranes. The prominent findings were: (a) large chlorophyll-protein complexes were not observed in iron-deficient membranes, although the chlorophyll-binding proteins were present; (b) the staining of acrylamide gels with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine plus peroxide indicated that iron deficiency led to a decrease in the quantity of cytochromes. These results support a structural model of the relation between fluorescence and chlorophyll organization in Anacystis. In addition, they suggest a method for studying cytochrome and chlorophyll protein assembly in these membranes.     

Spectral Properties and Composition of Reaction Center and Ancillary Polypeptide Complexes of Photosystem II Deficient Mutants of Synechocystis 6803

The polypeptide composition and spectral properties of three photosystem II (PSII) deficient mutants of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803 have been determined. The levels of the 43 and 47 kilodalton chlorophyll-binding proteins and the reaction center component D2 are affected differently in each mutant; the 33 kD polypeptide of the oxygen-evolving complex is found at wild-type levels in all three. The 43 and 47 kilodalton proteins are implicated as important elements in the assembly and/or stability of the PSII reaction center, although the loss of one of these polypeptides does not lead to the loss of all PSII proteins. Low temperature fluorescence emission spectra of wild-type cells reveal chlorophyll-attributable peaks at 687 (PSII), 696 (PSII), and 725 (photosystem I) nanometers. All three mutants retain the 725 nanometer fluorescence but lack the 696 nanometer peak. This suggests that the latter fluorescence arises from PSII reaction center chlorophyll or results from interactions among functional PSII components in vivo. Cells that contain the 43 kilodalton and lack the 47 kilodalton protein, retain the 687 fluorescence; furthermore, in as much as this fluorescence is absent from cells without the 43 kilodalton protein, the 687 nanometer peak is judged to emanate from the 43 kilodalton chlorophyll-protein. A new peak, probably previously obscured, is revealed at 691 nanometers in cells that retain the 47 kilodalton protein but lack the 43 kilodalton polypeptide, suggesting that emission near 691 nanometers can be attributed to the 47 kilodalton polypeptide. Membrane-bound phycobilisomes are retained in these cells as is coupled-energy transfer between phycocyanin and allophycocyanin. Energy transfer to photosystem I by way of phycocyanin excitation proceeds as in wild-type cells despite the absence of certain PSII components.     

Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes of Blue-Green Algae Isolated by a New Gel Electrophoresis System with High Resolving Power

At least 13 chlorophyll bands from the thylakoid membranes of blue-green algae could be clearly resolved by SDS-PAGE employing a new improved procedure. They were designated as CPIa, CPIb, CPIc, CPId, CPIe, CPIf, CPIg, CHIh, CPal, CPa2, CPa3, CPa4 and FC. 8 chlorophyll-protein complexes, CPIa-CPIh, had the same absorption spectrum at 676 nm in the red and 436 nm in the blue region. They belonged to the chlorophyll-protein complexes of PS Ⅰ. 4 chlorophyll-protein complexes, CPal-CPa4, had a red absorption peak at 670­672 nm and a blue one at 436 nm. Their fluorescence emission peak at 77K was at 685 nm. They were chlorophyll-protein complexes of PS Ⅱ.     

Photosynthetic Membranes of Porphyridium cruentum: An Analysis of Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes and Heme-Binding Proteins

Three chlorophyll-protein complexes (CP I, CP III, CP IV) were electrophoretically separated from thylakoids of the eukaryotic red alga Porphyridium cruentum. CP I contained the primary photochemical reaction center of photosystem I as judged by its light-induced reversible absorbance change at 700 nanometers, by its fluorescence emission maximum at 720 nanometers (−196°C), and by the molecular weight of its apoprotein (68,000 daltons). CP III and CP IV appeared to belong with photosystem II as suggested by the absence of light-reversible absorbance at 700 nanometers, by their fluorescence maximum at 690 nanometers (−196°C), and by the presence of a chlorophyll-binding polypeptide with a molecular weight of about 52,000 daltons. CP IV when completely denatured had two additional polypeptides of about 40,000 and 48,000 daltons. All three chlorophyll-protein complexes contained carotenoids: the chlorophyll/carotenoid molar ratio of 15:1 for CP I, and 20:1 for CP III and CP IV. The thylakoid membranes of P. cruentum contained four cytochromes, detected by heme-dependent peroxidase activity, but there was no observed association with the electrophoretically separated chlorophyll-protein complexes.     

Correlation of the photosystem I and II reaction center chlorophyll-protein complexes, CP-a1 and CP-aII with photosystem activity and low temperature fluorescence emission properties in mutants of Scenedesmus

Abstract Comparative studies on the low temperature fluorescence emission of whole cells, purified chlorophyll-protein (CP) complexes and on patterns noted in sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for chlorophyll-protein complexes and chloroplast membrane polypeptides of Scenedesmus obliquus with several distinct mutant classes has allowed further correlation between the fluorescence emission bands seen at 77K and the known chlorophyll-protein complexes. In mutants deficient in photosystem II (PS-II; total loss of the reducing side) the fluorescence emission spectra showed only two peaks, i.e., 686 and 718 nm, but in the wild type, in mutants lacking the oxidizing side of PS-II and in phenotypes missing the CP-a₁ complex (and P-700 activity) all three emission bands at 686, 696 and 718 nm were present. In a mutant lacking the light-harvesting CP-a/b complex the emission peak at 686 nm was strongly reduced and the longer wavelength emissions predominated. Gel electrophoresis studies showed that the PS-II (reducing side) mutants lacked the polypeptides of apparent molecular weight 54 and 51 kilodaltons and the chlorophyll-protein complex, CP-a_II, of apparent molecular weight 32 kilodaltons. Contrarily, the loss of the oxidizing side of PS-II did not result in any alteration of these components. Genetic deletion of CP-a₁ did not alter significantly the long wavelength emission even though the isolated CP-a₁ shows the low temperature-dependent long wavelength emission comparable to that seen in the whole cell. It was deduced that remaining PS-I antennae chlorophylls must account for the emission seen at 718 nm. The absence of the CP-a/b complex and the strong simultaneous decrease of the 686 nm emission strengthens the concept that this complex is the primary emitter of fluorescence at room temperature. Its absence facilitated the detection of the CP-a_II complex in SDS-PAGE and enhanced the in vivo fluorescence by the two photosystems. Parallel experiments with two mutants which green and develop, one to the wild-type and the other to the CP-a/b deficient phenotype, provided additional evidence for the source of the low temperature emission bands.     

Absorption and fluorescence spectra of chlorophyll-proteins isolated from Euglena gracilis

A spectroscopic study of chlorophyll-protein complexes isolated from Euglena gracilis membranes was carried out to gain information about the state of chlorophyll in vivo and energy transfer in photosynthesis. The membranes were dissociated by Triton X-100 and separated into fractions by sucrose gradient centrifugation and hydroxyapatite chromatography. Four different types of chlorophyll-protein complexes were distinguished from each other and from detergent-solubilized chlorophyll in these fractions by examination of their absorption, fluorescence excitation (400–500 nm) and emission spectra at low temperature. These types were: (1). A mixture of antenna chlorophyll a- and chlorophyll ab-proteins with an absorption maximum at 669 and emission at 682 nm; (2) a P-700-chlorophyll a-protein (chlorophyll: P-700 = 30 : 1), termed CPI with an absorption maximum at 676 nm and emission maxima at 698 and 718 nm; (3) a second chlorophyll a-protein (CPI-2) less enriched in P-700, with an absorption maximum at 676 nm and emission maxima at 680, 722 and 731 nm; (4) a third chlorophyll a-protein (CPa₁) with no P-700, absorption maxima at 670 and 683 nm, and an unusually sharp emission maximum at 687 nm. Treatment of CPa₁ with sodium dodecyl sulfate drastically altered its spectroscopic properties indicating that at least some chlorophyll-proteins isolated with this detergent are partially denatured. The results suggest that the complex absorption spectra of chlorophyll in vivo are caused by varying proportions of different chlorophyll-protein complexes, each with different groups of chlorophyll molecules bound to it and making up a unique entity in terms of electronic transitions.     

Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes of the Cyanophyte, Nostoc sp

Four chlorophyll-protein complexes have been resolved from the cyanophyte, Nostoc sp., by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at 4 C. Complexes solubilized by SDS from Spinacia oleracea were run for comparison. As has been well documented, the P700-chlorophyll a-protein complex from the higher plant and blue-green algal samples are similar, and the light-harvesting pigment protein complex is present only in the former. Most noteworthy are two closely migrating chlorophyll proteins in Nostoc sp. which have approximately the same mobility as a single chlorophyll-protein band resolvable from spinach. The absorption maximum of the complex from spinach is at 667 nanometers, and those of the two complexes from Nostoc sp. are at 667 and 669 nanometers; the fluorescence emission maximum at −196 C is at 685 nanometers, and the 735 nanometer fluorescence peak, characteristic of the P700-chlorophyll a-protein complex, is absent. The apoproteins of these new complexes from Nostoc sp. and spinach are in the kilodalton range. It appears that at least one of these two chlorophyll-protein complexes from Nostoc sp. compares with those recently described by others from higher plants and green algae as likely photosystem II complexes, perhaps containing P680, although no photochemical data are yet available.     

The Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes Resolved from Ultrasonically Broken Thylakoid Memb-ranes of Blue-Green Algae

When the thylakoid membranes of blue-green algae were broken by ultrasonic vibrations and subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at 4℃, six green zones were resolved. They were designated as CPIa, CPlb, CPI; CPal, CPa2, and FC. The absorption spectrum of CPI had a red maximum at 674 nm and a peak in the blue at 435 nm. It was identified as PS chlorophyll a-protein Complex, but was contaminated with minor PSⅡ which was implied by the appearance of fluorescence emission peak at 680 nm besides the main one at 725 nm at 77 K. The spectral properties of CPIa and CPlb were similar to that of CPl. The absorption spectra of CPa1 and CPa2 were similar, both having red maxima at 667 nm and peaks in the blue at 431.5 nm. Their fluorescence emission had the same peaks at 684 nm at 77 K indicating that they belonged to PSⅡ. It was recognized that CPal of 47 kD is the reaction center complex of photosystem Ⅱ and CPa2 of 40 kD is the internal antenna complex of photosystem Ⅱ. The spectral characteristics of the chlorophyll-protein complexes resolved by ultrasonic method were similar to those of the same complexes resolved by SDS solubilization, except the absorbance positions of CPa1 and CPa2 in the blue peak and the red one which shifted to blue about 3–5 nm. It was calculated that in thylakoid membranes of blue-green algae 40.93% chlorophyll was in PSⅠ, while 38.78% of chlorophyll in PSⅡ. The difference of chlorophyll contents between PSⅠ and PSⅡ was only 2.15%. Concerning the fact that minor PSⅡ compound remained in the part of PSⅠ zones, it might be concluded that the distribution of chlorophyll between PSⅠ and PSⅡ in blue-green algae was equal. This result was in agreement with the hypothesis that PSⅠ and PSⅡ operates in series in photosynthetic electron transport.     

Partial characterization of a minor chlorophyll-protein found in primary thylakoids of intermittently illuminated maize

A mild solubilization with sodium dodecyl sulphate of intermittently illuminated maize (Zea mays L. Mvsc 429) thylakoids allows the separation of a minor chlorophyll-protein in the position of the light harvesting chlorophyll-protein monomer of green plants by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It contains mainly chlorophyll a, its chlorophyll b content may come from the slightly contaminating light harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein. It represents about 15% of the chlorophyll in protochloroplasts. The new chlorophyll-protein has an absorption maximum at 672 nm, and only one fluorescence emission peak at 680 nm. A 34 kD polypeptide is the most abundant one in the polypeptide pattern of the complex. The function of the new chlorophyll-protein is unknown at present. Its relationship to other chlorophyll-proteins is discussed.     

Characterization of the Light-induced Transient States of the Chlorophyll Proteins 668 and 743 from Atriplex rosea

The light-induced transient states of chlorophyll-protein 668 (Cp668) and its photoconverted from Cp743 were investigated using flash photolysis. Short lived transient species induced by a short flash were detected in both Cp668 and Cp743. The Cp668 transient had a half decay time of 2.0 milliseconds and showed a broad absorption band at 460 nanometers. The Cp743 transient had a half decay time of only 0.6 millisecond and had a major absorption peak at 410 nanometers in addition, to a broad absorption band around 530 nanometers. Both transient signals were quenched by oxygen. Cp668 had a temperature-dependent delayed fluorescence at room temperature with a half-life of 2.0 milliseconds, the same as the life-time of the absorption transient. This suggests that the transient species observed was a triplet state of chlorophyll.     

Chlorophyll-protein composition of the thylakoid membrane from Prochlorothrix hollandica, a prokaryote containing chlorophyll b

The chlorophyll-protein complexes of the thylakoid membrane from Prochlorothrix hollandica were identified following electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. Five complexes, CP1-CP5, were resolved and these green bands were analyzed by spectroscopic and immunological methods. CP1 contains the photosystem I (PSI) reaction center, as this complex quenched fluorescence at room temperature, and had a 77 K fluorescence emission peak at 717 nm. CP4 contains the major chlorophyll-a-binding proteins of the photosystem II (PSII) core, because this complex contained polypeptides which cross-reacted to antibodies raised against Chlamydomonas PSII proteins 5 and 6. Furthermore, fluorescence excitation studies at 77 K indicated that only a Chl a is bound to CP4. Complexes CP2, CP3 and CP5 contained functionally bound Chl a and b as judged by absorption spectroscopy at 20 degrees C and fluorescence excitation spectra at 77 K. CP2, CP3 and CP5 all contain polypeptides of 30-33 kDa which are immunologically distinct from the LHC-II complex of higher plant thylakoids.     

Some physiological and biochemical changes in marine eukaryotic red tide alga Heterosigma akashiwo during the alleviation from iron limitation

Some physiological and biochemical changes in the marine eukaryotic red tide alga Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) were investigated during the alleviation from iron limitation. Chlorophyll a/carotenoid ratio increases as a result of iron alleviation. In vivo absorption spectra of iron-limited cells showed a chlorophyll (Chl) absorption peak at 630 nm, 2 nm blue-shifted from the normal position. Low-temperature fluorescence emission spectra of the cells have one prominent Chl emission peak at 685 nm. The cells showed a decrease in fluorescence yield from 685 nm band during alleviation from iron limitation. Low-temperature fluorescence excitation spectra and room-temperature fluorescence spectra indicated an efficient excitation energy transfer in the cells alleviated from iron limitation. Photosynthetic efficiency and carbohydrate content per cell increased after alleviation from iron limitation. Total protein decreased in iron-limited cells, while iron deficiency induced the appearance of specific soluble proteins (17 and 55 kDa).     

Four universal forms of chlorophyll a

We have matched the red absorption band measured at −196 C in a variety of chloroplast preparations with four major component curves representing forms of chlorophyll a having peaks at 661.6, 669.6, 677.1, and 683.7 nanometers. Chloroplast fractions enriched in one or the other of the two photochemical systems both contain these four major components, but system 1 preparations contain relatively more chlorophyll a 684. Chlorophyll a 677 and chlorophyll a 684 have greater bandwidths in system 1. Bands at longer wavelengths near 693 and 704 nanometers also often occur, but with far smaller heights than the above major bands. The longer wavelength bands are more common in system 1 than in system 2. In system 1 the half-widths of the four major bands in typical spectra average 11.3, 10.0, 10.3, and 10.8 nanometers while in system 2 they are 11.6, 9.8, 9.4, and 9.6 nanometers. Some spectra with sharper and some with wider bands were found, but the wavelengths were identical.     

Detection of chlorophyllide in chlorophyll-free plasma membrane preparations from Anacystis nidulans

Plasma and thylakoid membranes were isolated and purified from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans. Spectrophotometric examination of acetone extracts gave major absorption bands resulting from carotenoids and chlorophyll a in plasma and thylakoid membranes, respectively. Only a very small absorption peak at 663 nm was detected in acetone extracts of plasma membranes which, in contrast to the corresponding peak from thylakoid membranes, could not be extracted into n-hexane; methanol, on the other hand, was effective with both plasma and thylakoid membranes. Aqueous membrane suspensions excited at 435 nm gave strong fluorescence emission at 662 nm for plasma membranes, but only a very small one for thylakoid membranes which had been adjusted to equal absorbance at 678 nm. Excitation spectra of the 668 nm fluorescence emission peak in acetone extracts of plasma and thylakoid membranes were strikingly different from each other. Finally, high performance liquid chromatography afforded clear-cut preparative separation of the two "chlorophyll-like" pigments in plasma and thylakoid membranes, respectively, and identification by comparison with retention characteristics known from the literature, together with a pure chlorophyll a standard. Our results indicate that the highly fluorescent and polar "chlorophyll-like" pigment in plasma membranes of Anacystis is a chlorophyll precursor, viz. chlorophyllide a.     

赤潮异弯藻在铁限制条件下的光谱特性

由活体吸收光谱可见,赤潮异弯藻在叶绿素c靠近红光区的吸收峰处,由铁丰富条件下的632nm向蓝漂移2nm．由于类胡萝卜素相对于叶绿素a的比值在铁限制的细胞内增大,因而受铁限制的细胞活体吸收光谱在480nm左右类胡萝卜素的吸收峰处增加了一个吸收峰．赤潮异弯藻细胞低温荧光发射光谱在685nm处有一明显的发射峰。与铁丰富条件(10μmol.L-1)相比,缺铁(5nmol·L-1)和低铁(100nmol·L-1)细胞在685nm处的荧光得率分别升高了2倍和1．4倍．补铁48h后荧光得率则明显降低。表明细胞在铁限制条件下存在大量能量耗散,降低了细胞光合作用效率．     

Functional and structural organization of chlorophyll in the developing photosynthetic membranes of Euglena gracilis Z. V-separation and characterization of pigment-protein complexes of the differentiated thylakoids

Low temperature sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis following mild solubilization of Euglena thylakoid components allowed to resolve, in addition to the main CP1, CPa and LHCP chlorophyll-protein complexes, the additional CP1a and LHCP green bands. A carotenoid enriched band CPc can be separated from CPa using high acrylamide concentration. Pigment and polypeptide composition of these complexes were analyzed by absorption and fluorescence measurements and two dimensional gel electrophoresis. Spectral properties of CP1 and CP1a indicate an heterogenous organization of chlorophyll and the presence of significant amount of chlorophyll b in these complexes. They both contain a major 68 kilodalton polypeptide associated with three minor low molecular weight polypeptides in CP1a. CPa and CPc exhibit a characteristic fluorescence emission at 687 nm and they each contain one polypeptide of 54 and 41 Kda respectively. LHCP and LHCP are less abundant than in higher plant thylakoids and they contain a lower proportion of chl b (chl a: chl b=3). They include two polypeptides of 26 and 29 Kda.Abbreviations chl chlorophyll - SDS Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate - EDTA Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid - DTT Dithiothreitol     

Differential changes in degradation of chlorophyll-protein complexes of photosystem I and photosystem II during flag leaf senescence of rice.

The stability of chlorophyll-protein complexes of photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) was investigated by chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence spectroscopy, absorption spectra and native green gel separation system during flag leaf senescence of two rice varieties (IIyou 129 and Shanyou 63) grown under outdoor conditions. During leaf senescence, photosynthetic CO(2) assimilation rate, carboxylase activity of Rubisco, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, and the chlorophyll a/b ratio decreased significantly. The 77 K Chl fluorescence emission spectra of thylakoid membranes from mature leaves had two peaks at around 685 and 735 nm emitting mainly from PSII and PSI, respectively. The total Chl fluorescence yields of PSI and PSII decreased significantly with senescence progressing. However, the decrease in the Chl fluorescence yield of PSI was greater than in the yield of PSII, suggesting that the rate of degradation in chlorophyll-protein complexes of PSI was greater than in chlorophyll-protein complexes of PSII. The fluorescence yields for all chlorophyll-protein complexes decreased significantly with leaf senescence in two rice varieties but the extents of their decrease were significantly different. The greatest decrease in the Chl fluorescence yield was in PSI core, followed by LHCI, CP47, CP43, and LHCII. These results indicate that the rate of degradation for each chlorophyll-protein complex was different and the order for the stability of chlorophyll-protein complexes during leaf senescence was: LHCII>CP43>CP47>LHCI>PSI core, which was partly supported by the green gel electrophoresis of the chlorophyll-protein complexes.     

螺旋藻（Spirulina platensis）藻胆体在解离过程中荧光发射光谱和光能传递的研究

对螺旋藻（Ｓｐｉｒｕｌｉｎａｐｌａｔｅｎｓｉｓ）藻胆体在室温和７７Ｋ处于不同浓度磷缓冲溶液和不同解离时间的荧光发射光谱进行了研究。藻胆体在０．９ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸缓冲溶液中,由于没有发生解离,光能传递效率高,在７７Ｋ荧光发射光谱中只有一个峰,位于６８７ｎｍ,属于别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ。当藻胆体悬浮在０．３ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸缓冲溶液中１分钟,７７Ｋ荧光光谱的主峰出现在６８４ｎｍ．又出现６５５ｎｍ和６６６ｎｍ荧光峰,它们依次属子Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白和别藻蓝蛋白。在２小时;６５５ｎｍ荧先峰成为主峰,６８４ｎｍ荧光峰为次峰,６６６ｎｍ荧光肩消失。这表明Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白所捕获的先能已不能传递给别藻蓝蛋白,但能传给别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ。我们提出在螺旋藻藻胆体中存在两类Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白,一是与别藻蓝蛋白相连接,另一是与别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ相连接。     

螺旋藻（Spirulina platensis）藻胆体在解离过程中荧光发射光谱和光能传递的研究

对螺旋藻（Ｓｐｉｒｕｌｉｎａｐｌａｔｅｎｓｉｓ）藻胆体在室温和７７Ｋ处于不同浓度磷缓冲溶液和不同解离时间的荧光发射光谱进行了研究。藻胆体在０．９ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸缓冲溶液中,由于没有发生解离,光能传递效率高,在７７Ｋ荧光发射光谱中只有一个峰,位于６８７ｎｍ,属于别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ。当藻胆体悬浮在０．３ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸缓冲溶液中１分钟,７７Ｋ荧光光谱的主峰出现在６８４ｎｍ．又出现６５５ｎｍ和６６６ｎｍ荧光峰,它们依次属子Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白和别藻蓝蛋白。在２小时;６５５ｎｍ荧先峰成为主峰,６８４ｎｍ荧光峰为次峰,６６６ｎｍ荧光肩消失。这表明Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白所捕获的先能已不能传递给别藻蓝蛋白,但能传给别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ。我们提出在螺旋藻藻胆体中存在两类Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白,一是与别藻蓝蛋白相连接,另一是与别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ相连接。