Optical difference spectrum of the electron acceptor Ao in photosystem I

Optical measurements were made during low temperature photoreduction of photosystem I acceptors, A₁ and A₀. In the presence of a significant amount ofA₁ (detected by EPR), no absorbance changes occurred between 750-350 nm, indicating that this species is not a chlorophyll or pheophytin molecule. Spectral changes in this region that may be correlated with the appearance of A⁻₀, suggest that this component is a chlorophyll a anion monomer. The species is present in reaction centres in a ratio of 0.94 A_o/P700.

Photosystem I Primary acceptor Optical difference spectrum Chlorophyll a monomer