Fluorescence spectroscopy of single photosynthetic light-harvesting supramolecular systems

Recent spectroscopic studies of photosynthetic light-harvesting supramolecular complexes at the single supramolecule level are reviewed. This report describes the “single-molecule” investigation on light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) of purple photosynthetic bacteria, phycobiliproteins of cyanobacteria and red algae, light-harvesting complex 2 (LHC2) of higher plants, and chlorosomes of green photosynthetic bacteria. Unique behaviors and spectral features of single light-harvesting apparatus have been unraveled that were hidden by the ensemble averaging of many of the complexes. The information obtained with be useful for understanding the electronic structures and energy-transfer mechanism of photosynthetic light-harvesting supramolecular systems.     

干旱胁迫对玉米苗期叶片光合作用和保护酶的影响

以玉米品种郑单958(抗旱性强)和陕单902(抗旱性弱)为材料,采用盆栽控水试验,设置3个干旱处理(轻度干旱,中度干旱,重度干旱)和正常灌水,研究了干旱胁迫对玉米苗期叶片光合速率、叶绿素荧光以及相关生理指标的影响。结果表明:(1)干旱胁迫下2个品种叶片净光合速率(P_n)和气孔导度(G_s)显著下降,胞间CO₂浓度(C_i)出现了先下降后上升,而气孔限制值(L_s)上升后下降,说明中度干旱胁迫下叶片P_n下降是气孔因素引起的,重度干旱胁迫下P_n降低主要由非气孔因素引起的。(2)随着干旱胁迫的加剧,2个品种叶片光系统Ⅱ(PSⅡ)的实际量子产量(φPSⅡ)、电子传递速率(ETR)和光化学猝灭(qP)一直下降,而非光化学猝灭(qN)上升后下降,说明中度干旱下热耗散仍是植株重要光保护机制,重度干旱时叶片光合电子传递受阻,PSⅡ受到损伤。(3)干旱胁迫下2个品种叶片的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性先升高后降低,而丙二醛(MDA)含量一直升高,说明干旱胁迫初期对保护系统酶活性升高有诱导作用,重度胁迫下活性氧清除酶的活性下降,导致细胞膜伤害。这些结果暗示,轻度和中度干旱胁迫下2个玉米品种通过减少光捕获、热耗散和酶活性调节协同作用稳定了光合机构功能,是P_n下降的气孔限制因素;而重度干旱胁迫下光系统Ⅱ和抗氧化酶系统损伤,是P_n下降的非气孔限制因素;郑单958的各生理参数比陕单902受旱影响小,干旱胁迫下仍具有较高的光合效率和较强的保护酶活性是郑单958抗旱的主要生理原因。     

Singlet-triplet excitation fission in light-harvesting complexes of photosynthetic bacteria and in isolated carotenoids

Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance was used to study the properties of carotenoid triplet states populated in LH2 light-harvesting complexes of phototrophic bacteria Allochromatium minutissimum, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, and in carotenoid films free of bacteriochlorophyll. The study was performed on purified LH2 preparations not contaminated by reaction centers, and under selective pigment excitation. The obtained results enable a conclusion that the carotenoid triplet states, both in LH2 complexes and films, are populated in the process of homofission of singlet excitation into two triplets, which involves only carotenoid molecules. It is observed that the fission process in magnetic field leads to predominant population of the T₀ spin sublevel of the triplet. One molecular spin sublevel of the triplet is demonstrated to possess an increased probability of intersystem crossing to the ground state, independent of the carotenoid configuration. Pigment composition of the LH2 protein heterodimers is discussed, and a conclusion of the possible presence of two interacting carotenoid molecules is made.     

Absorbance changes of carotenoids and bacteriochlorophylls responding to the change of local electrical field induced by hydrophobic anion,tetraphenylborate in membranes of photosynthetic bacteria

Large blue-shifts of carotenoid absorption bands were induced by dark addition of a hydrophobic anion, tetraphenylborate, in chromatophores and cell membranes of photosynthetic bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas capsulata. Tetraphenylborate also induced a red-shift of the 850 nm absorption band and a blue-shift and broadening of the 800 nm band of bacteriochlorophyll. From the analysis of the relation between the magnitude and isosbestic wavelength of the absorbance changes the tetraphenylborate-induced carotenoid band shift were assumed to reflect the change of local electrical field close to each carotenoid molecule which exists as a minor pool on the light-harvesting pigment-protein complex II (LHC II). Absorbance changes of carotenoid and chlorophylls were also induced by tetraphenylborate in membranes of spinach chloroplasts.     

Self-aggregation behavior of synthetic zinc 3-hydroxymethyl-13/15-carbonyl-chlorins as models of main light-harvesting components in photosynthetic green bacteria

Zinc complexes of 3-hydroxymethyl-13/15-carbonyl-chlorins having a six-membered lactone as the E-ring were prepared by modifying purpurin-18 as models of bacteriochlorophyll-d, one of the chlorophyllous pigments in the main light-harvesting antenna systems (chlorosomes) of green photosynthetic bacteria. The synthetic 13-carbonylated compound self-aggregated in 1%(v/v) tetrahydrofuran and hexane to give large oligomers possessing red-shifted and broadened electronic absorption bands and intense circular dichroism bands at the shifted Q _y region, indicating that the supramolecular structure of the resulting self-aggregate was similar to those of natural and artificial chlorosomal aggregates. The red-shift value observed here was smaller than the reported values in chlorosomal pigments having a five-membered keto-ring, which was ascribable to a weaker intermolecular hydrogen-bonding of 13-C=O with 3¹-OH in a supramolecule of the former self-aggregate and suppression of the π–π interaction among the composite chlorins. On the other hand, the isomeric 15-carbonylated molecule was monomeric even in the nonpolar organic solvent, confirming the reported proposal that the linear orientation of three interactive moieties, OH, C=O and Zn, in a molecule is requisite for its chlorosomal self-aggregation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Epidermal focussing and effects upon photosynthetic light-harvesting in leaves of Oxalis

Abstract. In Oxalis , epidermal cells on both the adaxial and abaxial surface of the leaf concentrated light within the leaf by a lens mechanism. Focal lengths of epidermal cells were estimated using two methods: they were calculated from radius of curvature measurements taken from individual epidermal cells, and were measured directly in agarose replicas of the leaf surface. In the three species of Oxalis examined, light that was incident upon the adaxial leaf surface was concentrated within the palisade, whereas light that was incident upon the abaxial leaf surface was concentrated within the spongy mesophyll. Using sensiometric analysis, theoretically maximal focal intesifications were measured in leaf replicas at the focal maximum and at intermediate positions corresponding to the mid-region of the palisade and spongy mesophyll tissues. Focal intensifications ranged from 2.2 to 10.4 times incident light at the focal maximum, and 1.3 to 4.5 in the palisade or spongy mesophyll layers. Elimination of epidermal focussing, by covering the leaf surface with a thin layer of mineral oil, strongly affected chlorophyll fluorescence induction curves resulting in a decrease of 10–40% in the initial (F₀) and variable fluorescence (F_v). These results are consistent with the interpretation that the chloroplasts were adapted to their light microenvironment within the leaf and that focussing by the epidermis channelled light to a population of chloroplasts that were adapted to high light.     

小叶锦鸡儿和狭叶锦鸡儿的光合特性及保护酶系统比较

对锦鸡儿属羽状叶类群的代表植物--小叶锦鸡儿(Carag ana microphylla)和假掌状叶类群的代表植物--狭叶锦鸡儿(Caragana stenophyll a)的光合特性和保护酶系统进行了比较研究.小叶锦鸡儿的光补偿点(217 μmol photo n/(m2·s))、光饱和点(1107μmol photon/(m2·s))、光合最适温度(25.65℃) 均低于狭叶锦鸡儿(光补偿点,342μmol photon/(m2·s);光饱和点,1444μmol phot on/(m2·s);光合最适温度,32.89℃),前者在低温、低光强下表现出更高的光合速率 .小叶锦鸡儿净光合速率表现出随空气相对湿度增大而升高趋势,而狭叶锦鸡儿则在空气相对湿度为80%～90%时,净光合速率达到最大.这说明狭叶锦鸡儿光合系统对强辐射、高温和干旱环境的适应能力大于小叶锦鸡儿,小叶锦鸡儿对低辐射的利用能力高于狭叶锦鸡儿.狭叶锦鸡儿净光合速率和光能利用效率日进程午后高于小叶锦鸡儿,表明狭叶锦鸡儿的保水能力好于小叶锦鸡儿.小叶锦鸡儿LUE日平均值(8.17mmolCO2/mol photon)大于狭叶锦鸡儿(7.08 mmolCO2/mol photon),表明小叶锦鸡儿对低光强环境适应能力强.这些光合特性正好与它们分布区的光、温、湿条件相适应.从光合特性来看,狭叶锦鸡儿比小叶锦鸡儿更适于在光辐射充足、气温较高、降水更少的环境下生长.狭叶锦鸡儿有较高的POD和S OD活性,导致其自由基含量、MDA含量和细胞膜相对透性小于小叶锦鸡儿,这是狭叶锦鸡儿适应其干旱、高温、强辐射环境的重要特性.狭叶锦鸡儿叶细胞游离脯氨酸含量小于小叶锦鸡儿,也说明狭叶锦鸡儿对干旱的适应性强.结果表明(1)锦鸡儿属植物是以光合特性和抗氧化系统的变异来适应它们的光、温、湿环境的.(2)假掌状叶的代表植物--狭叶锦鸡儿比羽状叶的代表植物--小叶锦鸡儿对干旱、高温、强辐射的适应性强.这一研究结果似可以作为羽状叶是原始类群、假掌状叶是较进化类群观点的证据.     

Resonance Raman studies of the conformations of all-Trans carotenoids in light-harvesting systems of photosynthetic bacteria

Comparison of the resonance Raman spectra of carotenoids in vivo and in vitro has revealed that in some species of photosynthetic bacteria the major fraction of carotenoids associated with the light-harvesting systems has forms distorted (twisted) from the planar all-trans conformation. These distorted forms are kept in isolated and purified light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes.     

Assembly of light-harvesting complex II and biogenesis of thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts

A critical review of studies on import of Lhcb (apoproteins of LHC II) by chloroplasts uncovered a mechanism for initiation of assembly of light-harvesting complexes. Manipulation of in vivo systems and mutagenesis of specific residues in the protein showed that accumulation of physiological amounts of Lhcb by the plastid requires interaction of the protein with Chl within the inner membrane of the chloroplast envelope. Retention motifs, commonly -EXXHXR- in the first membrane-spanning region (helix-1) and -EXXNXR- in the third membrane-spanning region (helix-3), occur in the primary sequence of the protein. Mutations in these sequences prevent accumulation of Lhcb by isolated chloroplasts. We propose that the His or Asn sidechain and a transient intrahelix ion-pair with the Glu and Arg residues provide ligands for two molecules of Chl in each motif, which serve as a sensing mechanism for the availability of Chl. Interaction of two Chl molecules with both motifs is required for stable insertion of the protein into the membrane. Chl(ide) is possibly quenched by interaction with xanthophylls immediately after synthesis, and Chl-lutein pairs may initiate folding of Lhcb. Lhcb that does not immediately interact with sufficient Chl molecules is not retained by the organelle and, in vivo, is retracted into the cytosol or shunted to vacuoles for degradation rather than imported into the plastid stroma. The ubiquitous existence of retention motifs from small Lhcb-like polypeptides in cyanobacteria to all nuclear-encoded Chl-binding proteins (the Lhcb and Lhca families and related proteins) testify to the importance of these sequences in assembly of Chl-protein complexes.     

Localization of light-harvesting complex II to the occluded surfaces of photosynthetic membranes

The photosynthetic membranes of green plants are organized into stacked regions interconnected by nonstacked regions that have been shown to be biochemically and structurally distinct. Because the stacking process occludes the surfaces of appressed membranes, it has been impossible to conduct structural or biochemical studies of the outer surfaces of the photosynthetic membrane in regions of membrane stacking. Although stacking is mediated at this surface, it has not been possible to determine whether membrane components implicated in the stacking process, including a major light-harvesting complex (LHC-II), are in fact exposed at the membrane surface. We have been able to expose this surface for study in the electron microscope and directly label it with antibodies to determine protein exposure. The appearance of the newly exposed outer stacked surface highlights the extreme lateral heterogeneity of the photosynthetic membrane. The surface is smooth in contrast to the neighboring nonstacked surface that is covered with distinct particles. Although some investigators have suggested the existence of a cytochrome b6/f-rich boundary region between stacked and nonstacked membranes, our results provide no structural support for this concept. To explore the biochemical nature of the occluded membrane surface, we have used an mAb against the amino terminal region of the LHC-II. This mAb clearly labels the newly exposed outer stacked surface but does not label the inner surface or the outer nonstacked surface. These experimental results confirm the presence of the amino terminal region of this complex at the outer surface of the membrane in stacked regions, and also show that this complex is largely absent from nonstacked membranes.     

On the location of the carotenoids in the light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

Measurements of pronase-induced shifts of the absorption spectrum and of the isobestic point of the light-induced difference spectrum of the carotenoids show that the pool responsible for the light-induced absorption changes in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata wild type is more sensitive to pronase treatment than the bulk carotenoids. The most likely explanation for this, in the context of the work of Kakitani et al. (Kakitani, T., Honig, B. and Crofts, A.R. (1982) Biophys. J. 39, 57–63), is that the field indicating carotenoids, or at least that part of the molecules which determines their spectral characteristics, are imbedded in the LHC II pigment-protein complexes, close to the membrane surface. The importance of the location of the carotenoids for the measurement of the electrical potential differences is briefly discussed.     

The reconstitution of energy transfer in membranes from a bacteriochlorophyll-less mutant of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides by addition of light-harvesting and reaction centre pigment-protein complexes

Antenna and reaction centre complexes purified from photosynthetically-grown cells of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides have been mixed with cytoplasmic membranes prepared from an aerobically-grown bacteriochlorophyll-less mutant of Rp. sphaeroides (designated 01) in the presence of 1% sodium cholate. After removal of the cholate by dialysis, the dialysate was subjected to isopycnic centrifugation. Reconstituted cytochrome c₂ photooxidation and cytochrome b photoreduction were demonstrated in a pigmented fraction recovered from the sucrose gradient, suggesting that the pigment-proteins were incorporated into the 01 membrane.

The fluorescence properties of the system were examined. The appearance of a variable component after the initial fast fluorescence rise indicated that energy transfer occurred between the antenna and reaction centre proteins in the presence of 01 membrane. The order in which the system was assembled was important. Reconstituted energy transfer with a pre-dialysed reaction centre-antenna complex was more effective than when all the components were mixed at once. Energy transfer was also reconstituted between added reaction centre protein and the endogenous antenna present in membranes from the pigmented, but aerobically-grown reaction centre-less mutant PM8dp of Rp. sphaeroides.

Preparations of 01 membranes reconstituted with reaction centre exhibited a light intensity dependent cytochrome c₂ photooxidation. At low exciting light intensities, preparations containing reconstituted antenna protein in addition to reaction centres showed greater membrane cytochrome c₂ photooxidation than preparations with the antenna omitted; this improvement was maximal when a pre-dialysed antenna-reaction centre complex was used.     

Organization in photosynthetic membranes of purple bacteria in vivo: The role of carotenoids

Photosynthesis in purple bacteria is performed by pigment–protein complexes that are closely packed within specialized intracytoplasmic membranes. Here we report on the influence of carotenoid composition on the organization of RC–LH1 pigment–protein complexes in intact membranes and cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Mostly dimeric RC–LH1 complexes could be isolated from strains expressing native brown carotenoids when grown under illuminated/anaerobic conditions, or from strains expressing green carotenoids when grown under either illuminated/anaerobic or dark/semiaerobic conditions. However, mostly monomeric RC–LH1 complexes were isolated from strains expressing the native photoprotective red carotenoid spheroidenone, which is synthesized during phototrophic growth in the presence of oxygen. Despite this marked difference, linear dichroism (LD) and light-minus-dark LD spectra of oriented intact intracytoplasmic membranes indicated that RC–LH1 complexes are always assembled in ordered arrays, irrespective of variations in the relative amounts of isolated dimeric and monomeric RC–LH1 complexes. We propose that part of the photoprotective response to the presence of oxygen mediated by synthesis of spheroidenone may be a switch of the structure of the RC–LH1 complex from dimers to monomers, but that these monomers are still organized into the photosynthetic membrane in ordered arrays. When levels of the dimeric RC–LH1 complex were very high, and in the absence of LH2, LD and ?LD spectra from intact cells indicated an ordered arrangement of RC–LH1 complexes. Such a degree of ordering implies the presence of highly elongated, tubular membranes with dimensions requiring orientation along the length of the cell and in a proportion larger than previously observed.     

Reconstitution of carotenoids into the light-harvesting pigment-protein complex from the carotenoidless mutant of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides R26

Two carotenoids, neurosporene and spheroidene, have been successfully added to chromatophores from the carotenoidless mutant of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides R26. Carotenoids reconstituted in this way into the B-850 light-harvesting pigment-protein complex both sensitise bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence and protect the complex from the photodynamic reaction.     

Impact of elevated UV-B radiation on photosynthetic electron transport, primary productivity and carbon allocation in estuarine epipelic diatoms

Epipelic diatoms are important components of microphytobenthic biofilms. Cultures of four diatom species (Amphora coffeaeformis, Cylindrotheca closterium, Navicula perminuta and Nitzschia epithemioides) and assemblages of mixed diatom species collected from an estuary were exposed to elevated levels of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Short exposures to UV-B resulted in decreases in photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, photosynthetic electron transport, photosynthetic carbon assimilation and changes in the pattern of allocation of assimilated carbon into soluble colloidal, extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and glucan pools. The magnitude of the effects of the UV-B treatments varied between species and was also dependent upon the photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD) to which the cells were also exposed, with effects being greater at lower light levels. Both increases in nonphotochemical quenching of excitation energy in the pigment antennae and photodamage to the D1 reaction centres contributed to decreases in PSII photochemistry. All species demonstrated a rapid ability to recover from perturbations of PSII photochemistry, with some species recovering during the UV-B exposure period. Some of the perturbations induced in carbon metabolism were independent of effects on PSII photochemistry and photosynthetic electron transport. Elevated UV-B can significantly inhibit photosynthetic performance, and modify carbon metabolism in epipelic diatoms. However, the ecological effects of UV-B at the community level are difficult to predict as large variations occur between species.     

Minimal requirements for in vitro reconstitution of the structural subunit of light-harvesting complexes of photosynthetic bacteria

Unlike the and polypeptides of the core light-harvesting complex (LH1) of Rhodobacter (Rb.) sphaeroides, the and polypeptides of the peripheral light-harvesting complex (LH2) of this organism will not form a subunit complex by in vitro reconstitution with bacteriochlorophyll. Guided by prior experiments with the LH1 polypeptides of Rb. sphaeroides and Rhodospirillum rubrum, which defined a set of interactions required to stabilize the subunit complex, a series of mutations to the Rb. sphaeroides LH2 polypeptide was prepared and studied to determine the minimal changes necessary to enable it to form a subunit-type complex. Three mutants were prepared: Arg at position –10 was changed to Asn (numbering is from the conserved His residue which is known to be coordinated to bacteriochlorophyll); Arg at position –10 and Thr at position +7 were changed to Asn and Arg, respectively; and Arg at position –10 was changed to Trp and the C-terminus from +4 to +10 was replaced with the amino acids found at the corresponding positions in the LH1 polypeptide of Rb. sphaeroides. Only this last multiple mutant polypeptide formed subunit-type complexes in vitro. Thus, the importance of the C-terminal region, which encompasses conserved residues at positions +4, +6 and +7, is confirmed. Two mutants of the LH1 polypeptide of Rb. sphaeroides were also constructed to further evaluate the interactions stabilizing the subunit complex and those necessary for oligomerization of subunits to form LH1 complexes. In one of these mutants, Trp at position –10 was changed to Arg, as found in LH2 at this position, and in the other His at position –18 was changed to Val. The results from these mutants allow us to conclude that the residue at the –10 position is unimportant in subunit formation or oligomerization, while the strictly conserved His at –18 is not required for subunit formation but is very important in oligomerization of subunits to form LH1.     

类胡萝卜素的生物学功能

类胡萝卜素 (Carotenoids)是一类重要的植物色素 ,在自然界中 ,广泛存在于各种植物中 ,在动物及微生物中也有发现。类胡萝卜素种类很多 ,其中包括人们所熟知的 α-胡萝卜素、β-胡萝卜素、番茄红素等。到目前为止 ,已经鉴定的类胡萝卜素分子共有 6 0 0多种 ,其中具有重要生物学功能的约有 50几种。类胡萝卜素是类异戊二烯化合物 ,由尾 -尾相连的2个二十碳单位构成四十碳的分子母体碳架 ,并从中衍生出许多不同的化合物。类胡萝卜素分子最显著的结构特征是分子中含有由不同数目的双键或单键的长链所构成的中央分子区域 ,形成 1个共轭体系。多…