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.     

Selection and Characterization of Asparagus Mutants Resistant to Inhibition by Lysine Plus Threonine

Asparagus officinalis calli were induced from shoot of seedlings. After mutagenization, two lysine plus threonine resistant mutant lines (LTR2, LTR3) were obtained by selectionnonselection-reselection procedures with 2 mmol/1 lysine plus threonine. LTR2 and LTR3 caIli remained resistance to lysine plus threonine after being subcultured for 1 year, and both of them showed cross resistance to 1 mmol/l aminoethylcysteine. In resistant calli, the free lysine, methionine and an unknown amino acid were l-l0 times more than those in controls.     

Analysis on Amino-Terminal Sequence and Purification of a 61 kD Protein from Photoperiod-Sensitive Genic Male-Sterile Rice

The specific protein P2,one of the three specific proteins(P1,P2 and P3)in chloroplasts from photoperiod-sensitive genlc malesterile rice previously reported was purlfied through preparative two dimensional gel electrophoresis and preparatwe isoelectric 10-CUSlng(1EF) and from which an uniform P2,checked with SDS-PAGE and IEF,was obtained．The molecular weight and isoelectric point was 61 kD and 5,8,respectively．Therefore P2 was referred as P61．A search in databases revealed that the aminoterminal sequence Of P61 was identical to that of perb unit of chloroplast ATP ase from barley and rice     

Light-Induced Damage of Amino Acid Residues and Degradation of Polypeptides in D1/D2/Cytochrome b559 Complex

Photosystem Ⅱ reaction center D1/Dg/Cyt b559 complex is very sensitive to light. Besides pigments, some amino acids, like histidine and methionine residues on the polypeptide chain, were damaged and D1 and D2 proteins were degraded by illumination. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated an increased content of the D1 and D2 protein dimers and a new band with molecular weight of 41 kD after light treatment. Meanwhile, the D1 and D2 bands were shifted to apparent positions of higher molecular weight. During the consequent incubation in the dark following illumination, although there was no change in the composition of amino acids, the degradation process of D1 and D2 proteins and the production of 41 kD fragment continued. It was proposed that degradation of D1 and D2 proteins was probably due to the photodamage of some amino acids via chemical splitting and co-valent cross-linkage in this process.     

A Comparative Study on PSⅡ Light Harvesting Chlorophyll a/b Protein Complexes Between Spinach and Cucumber

PS Ⅱ light harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complexes (LHC Ⅱ ) were isolated from chloroplast of spinach (Spinacia oleracea Mill. ) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. ). Comparative studies were made on the polymerized forms. Chl a/b ratio, spectral characteristics and polypeptide components of these two kinds of LHC Ⅱ. Experimental results showed that the LHC Ⅱ from spinach had a Chl a/b ratio of 1.33 and the LHC Ⅱ from cucumber had a Chl a/b ratio of 1.77. The spectral characteristics of the LHC Ⅱ from cucumber also indicated the enrichment of Chl b in this LHC Ⅱ . There was also obvious differences in the polypeptide components between these two kinds of LHC Ⅱ, the LHC Ⅱ of spinach contained a 27 kD and a 25 kD polypeptides, while the LHC Ⅱ of cucumber contained only a 27 kD polypeptide. This showed that the 25 kD polypeptide contained less Chl b. The analysis of the chlorophyll protein complexes showed that the monomer, dimer and trimer of the LHC Ⅱ of spinach were composed of two polypeptides, while all the polymerized forms of cucumber’s LHC Ⅱ were composed of one polypeptide.     

Observation of One Pheophytin a Molecule Not Associated with Primary Photochemistry in the Isolated Photosystem Ⅱ Reaction Center D1/D2/Cyt b559 Complex

Photodamage of pheophytin a (pheo a) in the isolated photosystem Ⅱ (PSⅡ ) reaction center D1/D2/Cyt b559 complex from spinach has been investigated by high performance liquid chromatographic method in detail. The results showed that: (1) There is one pheo a molecule which is not associated with the primary photochemistry in the PS Ⅱ reaction center complex. It may be considered that there are two different electron transfer branches in the PS Ⅱ reaction center just as in the purple bacterium photosynthetic reaction center. (2) The damaged pheo a may be attributed to the one bonding to the D2 protein comparing the D2 subunit in the PS Ⅱ reaction center with M subunit in the purple bacterium photosynthetic reaction center. (3) A possible arrangement model of redox cofactors in the PS Ⅱ reaction center was proposed based on our experiment.     

Study on the Energy Transfer Process Between the Photosystem Ⅱ Reaction Center and Light-Harvesting System

The primary reaction kinetics of the photosystem Ⅱ particles isolated from spinach (Spinacia oleracea Mill. ) have been studied using the subpicosecond transient absorption technique. Three lifetime components, (0.76±0.50) ps, (8.70±2.00) ps and (138.00±20.00) ps, were obtained by the multi-exponential curval fitting. When the samples were exposed to strong light for one hour, only one component, 133 ps, was found. It was proposed that the 760 fs component was most probably attributed to the energy transfer from light-harvesting system to the reaction center.     

Photoreduction of Cytochrome b559 in the Photosystem Ⅱ Reaction Center Complex

The isolated and purified photosystem Ⅱ (PS Ⅱ ) reaction center D1/D2/Cyt b559 complex was taken as the experimental system. It was observed that under anaerobic conditions, cytochrome b559 (Cyt b559) could be reduced by exposure to strong illumination, suggesting Cyt b559 could accept electrons directly from reduced pheophytin (Pheo-). And the photoreduction of Cyt b559 was irreversible. When the isolated D1/D2/Cyt b559 complex reconstituted with exogenous secondary electron acceptor 2,6-dimethyl-benzoquinone (DMBQ), the photoreduction of Cyt b559 was delayed in the function of illumination time. Meanwhile, the electrons transferred mainly through DMBQ and photoreduced Cyt b559 could be partially reoxidized in the dark incubation following illumination. It was concluded that the quinone-independent electron transfer via Cyt b559 was a new, secondary electron pathway, which represented one of the protective pathes for PS Ⅱ reaction center to dissipate excess excitation energy.