Function of membrane proteins coupled to bacteriochlorophyll synthesis: Studies with wild type and mutant strains of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides

Membrane proteins with estimated molecular weights of 26,000, 22,000, 19,000, and 10,000–5,000 (designated 9, 10, 11, and 15, respectively) were found previously to be coupled to the synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. They have been attributed to the reaction center complex (proteins 9, 10, 11) and light-harvesting forms (protein 15) on the basis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of membrane fractions from the wild type and by analysis of certain photosynthetic mutants. Three of the mutants form light harvesting but not reaction-center bacteriochlorophyll; their membranes lack proteins 10 and 11, though proteins 9 and 15 are detectable. These mutants have little or no photophosphorylation or light-induced transhydrogenase activities and their respiration is not inhibited by illumination. Another mutant, strain 71-20 apparently has functional reaction centers, as determined by the above criteria, yet it does not grow anaerobically in the light for unknown reasons.