Herbicide effect on the hydrogen-bonding interaction of the primary quinone electron acceptor QA in photosystem II as studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Reaction Mechanism of the Terminal Plastoquinone QB in Photosystem II as Revealed by Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy

The secondary plastoquinone (PQ) electron acceptor QB in photosystem II (PSII) undergoes a two-step photoreaction through electron transfer from the primary PQ electron acceptor QA, converting into plastoquinol (PQH2). However, the detailed mechanism of the QB reactions remains elusive. Here, we investigated the reaction mechanism of QB in cyanobacterial PSII core complexes using two time-revolved infrared (TRIR) methods: dispersive-type TRIR spectroscopy and rapid-scan Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Upon the first flash, the ∼140 μs phase is attributed to electron transfer from QA•- to QB, while the ∼2.2 and ∼440 ms phases are assigned to the binding of an internal PQ in a nearby cavity to the vacant QB site and an external PQ traveling to the QB site through channels, respectively, followed by immediate electron transfer. The resultant QB•- is suggested to be in equilibrium with QBH•, which is protonated at the distal oxygen. Upon the second flash, the ∼130 μs and ∼3.3 ms phases are attributed to electron transfer to QBH• and the protonation of QB•- followed by electron transfer, respectively, forming QBH-, which then immediately accepts a proton from D1-H215 at the proximal oxygen to become QBH2. The resultant D1-H215 anion is reprotonated in ∼22 ms via a pathway involving the bicarbonate ligand. The final ∼490 ms phase may reflect the release of PQH2 and its replacement with PQ. The present results highlight the importance of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy in elucidating the mechanism of QB reactions in PSII.

Intermediate Formation via Proton Release during the Photoassembly of the Water-Oxidizing Mn4CaO5 Cluster in Photosystem II

The early stages of the photoassembly of the water-oxidizing Mn4CaO5 cluster in spinach photosystem II (PSII) were monitored using rapid-scan time-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Carboxylate stretching and the amide I bands, which appeared upon the flash-induced oxidation of a Mn2+ ion, changed their features during the subsequent dark rearrangement process, indicating the relocation of the Mn3+ ion concomitant with protein conformational changes. Monitoring the isotope-edited FTIR signals of a Mes buffer estimated that nearly two protons are released upon the Mn2+ oxidation. Quantum chemical calculations for models of the Mn binding site suggested that the proton of a water ligand is transferred to D1-H332 through a hydrogen bond upon the Mn3+ formation and then released to the bulk as the Mn3+ shifts to bind to this histidine. Another Mn2+ ion may be inserted to form a binuclear Mn3+Mn2+ complex, whose structure was calculated to be stabilized by a μ-hydroxo bridge hydrogen-bonded with deprotonated D1-H337. Nearly one additional proton can thus be released from this histidine, assuming that it is mostly protonated before illumination. Alternatively, a proton could be released by further insertion of Ca2+, forming a Mn3+Mn2+Ca2+ complex with another hydroxo ligand connecting Ca2+ to the Mn3+Mn2+ complex.

Rapid-Scan Fourier Transform Infrared Monitoring of the Photoactivation Process in Cyanobacterial Photosystem II

The catalytic site of photosynthetic water oxidation, the Mn4CaO5 cluster, in photosystem II (PSII) is known to be formed by a light-induced process called photoactivation. However, details of its molecular mechanism remain unresolved. In this study, we monitored the photoactivation process in cyanobacterial PSII using rapid-scan, time-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The Mn3+/Mn2+ FTIR difference spectra of PSII, in which D1-D170 was specifically 13C labeled, and PSII from the D1-D170A, D1-E189A, and D1-D342A mutants provide strong evidence that the initial Mn2+ is coordinated by D1-D170 and D1-E189. Protein conformational changes and relocation of photo-oxidized Mn3+ in the dark rearrangement process were detected as slow-phase signals in the amide I and carboxylate regions, whereas similar signals were not observed in D1-E189A PSII. It is thus proposed that relocation of Mn3+ via D1-E189 induces the conformational changes of the proteins to form proper Mn binding sites in the mature protein conformation.

Calculated vibrational properties of pigments in protein binding sites 2: Semiquinones in photosynthetic proteins

[Q_A^- - Q_A] Fourier transform infrared difference spectra have previously been obtained using purple bacterial reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides with unlabeled, ¹⁸O and ¹³C isotope labeled phylloquinone (PhQ, also known as vitamin K₁) incorporated into the Q_A protein binding site (Breton, (1997), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA94 11318-11323). The nature of the bands in these spectra and the isotope induced band shifts are poorly understood, especially for the phyllosemiquinone anion (PhQ^-) state. To aid in the interpretation of the bands in these experimental spectra, ONIOM type QM/MM vibrational frequency calculations were undertaken. Calculations were also undertaken for PhQ^- in solution. Surprisingly, both sets of calculated spectra are similar and agree well with the experimental spectra. This similarity suggests pigment-protein interactions do not perturb the electronic structure of the semiquinone in the Q_A binding site. This is not found to be the case for the neutral PhQ species in the same protein binding site. PhQ also occupies the A₁ protein binding site in photosystem I, and the vibrational properties of PhQ^- in the Q_A and A₁ binding sites are compared and shown to exhibit considerable differences. These differences probably arise because of changes in the degree of asymmetry of hydrogen bonding of PhQ^- in the A₁ and Q_A binding sites.

Structural insights into the action mechanisms of artificial electron acceptors in photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII) utilizes light energy to split water, and the electrons extracted from water are transferred to Q_B, a plastoquinone (PQ) molecule bound to the D1 subunit of PSII. Many artificial electron acceptors (AEAs) with similar molecular structures to PQ can accept electrons from PSII. However, the molecular mechanism by which AEAs act on PSII is unclear. Here, we solved the crystal structure of PSII treated with three different AEAs, 2,5-dibromo-1,4-benzoquinone, 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone, and 2-phenyl-1,4-benzoquinone, at 1.95-2.10 Å resolution. Our results show that all AEAs substitute for Q_B and are bound to the Q_B-binding site (Q_B site) to receive electrons, but their binding strengths are different, resulting in differences in their efficiencies to accept electrons. The acceptor 2-phenyl-1,4-benzoquinone binds most weakly to the Q_B site, and showed the highest oxygen-evolving activity, implying a reverse relationship between the binding strength and oxygen-evolving activity. In addition, a novel quinone binding site, designated the Q_D site, was discovered, which is located in the vicinity of Q_B site and close to Q_C site, a binding site reported previously. This Q_D site is expected to play a role as a channel or a storage site for quinones to be transported to the Q_B site. These results provide the structural basis for elucidating the actions of AEAs and exchange mechanism of Q_B in PSII, and also provide information for the design of more efficient electron acceptors.

Time-resolved FTIR difference spectroscopy for the study of photosystem I with high potential naphthoquinones incorporated into the A1 binding site

Time-resolved step-scan Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy has been used to study cyanobacterial photosystem I photosynthetic reaction centers from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (S6803) with four high-potential, 1,4-naphthoquinones incorporated into the A₁ binding site. The high-potential naphthoquinones are 2-chloro-, 2-bromo-, 2,3-dichloro- and 2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquinone. "Foreign minus native" double difference spectra (DDS) were constructed by subtracting difference spectra for native photosystem I (with phylloquinone in the A₁ binding site) from corresponding spectra obtained using photosystem I with the different quinones incorporated. To help assess and assign bands in the difference and double difference spectra, density functional theory based vibrational frequency calculations for the different quinones in solvent, or in the presence of a single asymmetric H- bond to either a water molecule or a peptide backbone NH group, were undertaken. Calculated and experimental spectra agree best for the peptide backbone asymmetrically H- bonded system. By comparing multiple sets of double difference spectra, several new bands for the native quinone (phylloquinone) are identified. By comparing calculated and experimental spectra we conclude that the mono-substituted halogenated NQs can occupy the binding site in either of two different orientations, with the chlorine or bromine atom being either ortho or meta to the H- bonded CO group.

pH-Dependent Regulation of Electron Flow in Photosystem II by a Histidine Residue at the Stromal Surface

In photosystem II (PSII), the secondary plastoquinone electron acceptor Q_B functions as a substrate that converts into plastoquinol upon its double reduction by electrons abstracted from water. It has been suggested that a histidine residue, D1-H252, which is located at the stromal surface near Q_B, is involved in the pH-dependent regulation of electron flow and proton transfer to Q_B. However, definitive evidence for the involvement of D1-H252 in the Q_B reactions has not been obtained yet. Here, we studied the roles of D1-H252 in PSII using a cyanobacterial mutant, in which D1-H252 was replaced with Ala. Delayed luminescence (DL) measurement upon a single flash showed a faster Q_B^- decay at higher pH in the thylakoids from the wild-type strain due to the downshift of the redox potential of Q_B [E_m(Q_B^-/Q_B)]. This pH dependence of the Q_B^- decay was lost in the D1-H252A mutant. The experimental E_m(Q_B^-/Q_B) changes were well reproduced by the density functional theory calculations for models with different protonation states of D1-H252 and with Ala replaced for H252. It was further shown that the period-four oscillation of the DL intensity by successive flashes was significantly diminished in the D1-H252A mutant, suggesting the inhibition of plastoquinone exchange at the Q_B pocket in this mutant. It is thus concluded that D1-H252 is a key amino acid residue that regulates electron flow in PSII by sensing pH in the stroma and stabilizes the Q_B binding site to facilitate the quinone exchange reaction.

Redox properties and regulatory mechanism of the iron-quinone electron acceptor in photosystem II as revealed by FTIR spectroelectrochemistry

Photosystem II (PSII) performs oxidation of water and reduction of plastoquinone through light-induced electron transfer. Electron transfer reactions at individual redox cofactors are controlled by their redox potentials, and the forward and backward electron flows in PSII are regulated by tuning them. It is, thus, crucial to accurately estimate the redox potentials of the cofactors and their shifts by environmental changes to understand the regulatory mechanisms in PSII. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroelectrochemistry combined with a light-induced difference technique is a powerful method to investigate the mechanisms of the redox reactions in PSII. In this review, we introduce the methodology and the application of this method in the studies of the iron-quinone complex, which consists of two plastoquinone molecules, Q_A and Q_B, and the non-heme iron, on the electron-acceptor side of PSII. It is shown that FTIR spectroelectrochemistry is a useful method not only for estimating the redox potentials but also for detecting the reactions of nearby amino-acid residues coupled with the redox reactions.

Effects of Stromal and Lumenal Side Perturbations on the Redox Potential of the Primary Quinone Electron Acceptor QA in Photosystem II

The primary quinone electron acceptor Q_A is a key component in the electron transfer regulation in photosystem II (PSII), and hence accurate estimation of its redox potential, E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A), is crucial in understanding the regulatory mechanism. Although fluorescence detection has been extensively used for monitoring the redox state of Q_A, it was recently suggested that this method tends to provide a higher E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A) estimate depending on the sample status due to the effect of measuring light [Kato et al. (2019) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1860, 148082]. In this study, we applied the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroelectrochemistry, which uses non-reactive infrared light to monitor the redox state of Q_A, to investigate the effects of stromal- and lumenal-side perturbations on E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A) in PSII. It was shown that replacement of bicarbonate bound to the non-heme iron with formate upshifted E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A) by ∼55 mV, consistent with the previous fluorescence measurement. In contrast, an E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A) difference between binding of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and bromoxynil was found to be ∼30 mV, which is much smaller than the previous estimate, ∼100 mV, by the fluorescence method. This ∼30 mV difference was verified by the decay kinetics of the S₂Q_A^- recombination. On the lumenal side, Mn depletion hardly affected the E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A), confirming the previous FTIR result. However, removal of the extrinsic proteins by NaCl or CaCl₂ wash downshifted the E_m(Q_A^-/Q_A) by 14-20 mV. These results suggest that electron flow through Q_A is regulated by changes both on the stromal and lumenal sides of PSII.

Redox potential of the terminal quinone electron acceptor QB in photosystem II reveals the mechanism of electron transfer regulation

Photosystem II (PSII) extracts electrons from water at a Mn4CaO5 cluster using light energy and then transfers them to two plastoquinones, the primary quinone electron acceptor QA and the secondary quinone electron acceptor QB. This forward electron transfer is an essential process in light energy conversion. Meanwhile, backward electron transfer is also significant in photoprotection of PSII proteins. Modulation of the redox potential (Em) gap of QA and QB mainly regulates the forward and backward electron transfers in PSII. However, the full scheme of electron transfer regulation remains unresolved due to the unknown Em value of QB. Here, for the first time (to our knowledge), the Em value of QB reduction was measured directly using spectroelectrochemistry in combination with light-induced Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy. The Em(QB (-)/QB) was determined to be approximately +90 mV and was virtually unaffected by depletion of the Mn4CaO5 cluster. This insensitivity of Em(QB (-)/QB), in combination with the known large upshift of Em(QA (-)/QA), explains the mechanism of PSII photoprotection with an impaired Mn4CaO5 cluster, in which a large decrease in the Em gap between QA and QB promotes rapid charge recombination via QA (-).

The Photosystem II D1-K238E mutation enhances electrical current production using cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes in a bio-photoelectrochemical cell

The conversion of solar energy (SEC) to storable chemical energy by photosynthesis has been performed by photosynthetic organisms, including oxygenic cyanobacteria for over 3 billion years. We have previously shown that crude thylakoid membranes from the cyanobacterium Synechocytis sp. PCC 6803 can reduce the electron transfer (ET) protein cytochrome c even in the presence of the PSII inhibitor DCMU. Mutation of lysine 238 of the Photosystem II D1 protein to glutamic acid increased the cytochrome reduction rates, indicating the possible position of this unknown ET pathway. In this contribution, we show that D1-K238E is rather unique, as other mutations to K238, or to other residues in the same vicinity, are not as successful in cytochrome c reduction. This observation indicates the sensitivity of ET reactions to minor changes. As the next step in obtaining useful SEC from biological material, we describe the use of crude Synechocystis membranes in a bio-photovoltaic cell containing an N-acetyl cysteine-modified gold electrode. We show the production of significant current for prolonged time durations, in the presence of DCMU. Surprisingly, the presence of cytochrome c was not found to be necessary for ET to the bio-voltaic cell.

Modified molecular interactions of the pheophytin and plastoquinone electron acceptors in photosystem II of chlorophyll D-containing Acaryochloris marina as revealed by FTIR spectroscopy

Acaryochloris marina is a unique cyanobacterium that contains chlorophyll (Chl) d as a major pigment. Because Chl d has smaller excitation energy than Chl a used in ordinary photosynthetic organisms, the energetics of the photosystems of A. marina have been the subject of interest. It was previously shown that the redox potentials (E m's) of the redox-active pheophytin a (Pheo) and the primary plastoquinone electron acceptor (QA) in photosystem II (PSII) of A. marina are higher than those in Chl a-containing PSII, to compensate for the smaller excitation energy of Chl d (Allakhverdiev et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107: 3924-3929, 2010; ibid. 108: 8054-8058, 2011). To clarify the mechanisms of these E m increases, in this study, we have investigated the molecular interactions of Pheo and QA in PSII core complexes from A. marina using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Light-induced FTIR difference spectra upon single reduction of Pheo and QA showed that spectral features in the regions of the keto and ester C=O stretches and the chlorin ring vibrations of Pheo and in the CO/CC stretching region of the Q A (-) semiquinone anion in A. marina are significantly different from those of the corresponding spectra in Chl a-containing cyanobacteria. These observations indicate that the molecular interactions, including the hydrogen bond interactions at the C=O groups, of these cofactors are modified in their binding sites of PSII proteins. From these results, along with the sequence information of the D1 and D2 proteins, it is suggested that A. marina tunes the E m's of Pheo and QA by altering nearby hydrogen bond networks to modify the structures of the binding pockets of these cofactors.

Characterization of multiple-herbicide-resistant Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne spp. multiflorum)

BACKGROUND

Multiple-herbicide resistance in Lolium perenne spp. multiflorum has evolved in many areas in Oregon. To manage the resistant populations, the resistance patterns must be determined. In this study, a population (CT) suspected to be resistant to sulfometuron and hexazinone was collected from a Christmas tree plantation.

RESULTS

The CT population is resistant to at least six herbicides with four different mechanisms of action: atrazine (>16-fold), diuron (2.4-fold), glyphosate (7.4-fold), hexazinone (3.1-fold), imazapyr (1.8-fold) and sulfometuron (>16-fold). Two mutations, Trp-591-Leu and Ser-264-Gly, were identified in the acetolactate synthase (ALS) and psbA gene respectively. No previously reported mutation in the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene was found. Less shikimic acid accumulated in the CT plants than in the susceptible plants after treatment with glyphosate at 0.6 kg AE ha(-1) .

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the multiple resistance patterns of Lolium perenne spp. multiflorum populations can be complex, but that chemical control options to manage these populations exist. These remaining chemical options should be integrated with non-chemical management strategies to slow the spread of multiple-resistant biotypes in agroecosystems.

Synthesis and evaluation of heterocyclic analogues of bromoxynil

One attractive strategy to discover more active and/or crop-selective herbicides is to make structural changes to currently registered compounds. This strategy is especially appealing for those compounds with limited herbicide resistance and whose chemistry is accompanied with transgenic tools to enable herbicide tolerance in crop plants. Bromoxynil is a photosystem II (PSII) inhibitor registered for control of broadleaf weeds in several agronomic and specialty crops. Recently at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville several analogues of bromoxynil were synthesized including a previously synthesized pyridine (2,6-dibromo-5-hydroxypyridine-2-carbonitrile sodium salt), a novel pyrimidine (4,6-dibromo-5-hydroxypyrimidine-2-carbonitrile sodium salt), and a novel pyridine N-oxide (2,6-dibromo-1-oxidopyridin-1-ium-4-carbonitrile). These new analogues of bromoxynil were also evaluated for their herbicidal activity on soybean (Glycine max), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti), large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), and pitted morningglory ( Ipomoea lacunose ) when applied at 0.28 kg ha(-1). A second study was conducted on a glyphosate-resistant weed (Amaranthus palmeri) with the compounds being applied at 0.56 kg ha(-1). Although all compounds were believed to inhibit PSII by binding in the quinone binding pocket of D1, the pyridine and pyridine-N-oxide analogues were clearly more potent than bromoxynil on Amaranthus retroflexus. However, application of the pyrimidine herbicide resulted in the least injury to all species tested. These variations in efficacy were investigated using molecular docking simulations, which indicate that the pyridine analogue may form a stronger hydrogen bond in the pocket of the D1 protein than the original bromoxynil. A pyridine analogue was able to control the glyphosate-resistant Amaranthus palmeri with >80% efficacy. The pyridine analogues of bromoxynil showed potential to have a different weed control spectrum compared to bromoxynil. A pyridine analogue of bromoxynil synthesized in this research controlled several weed species greater than bromoxynil itself, potentially due to enhanced binding within the PSII binding pocket. Future research should compare this analogue to bromoxynil using optimized formulations at higher application rates.

The nonheme iron in photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII), the light-driven water:plastoquinone (PQ) oxidoreductase of oxygenic photosynthesis, contains a nonheme iron (NHI) at its electron acceptor side. The NHI is situated between the two PQs QA and QB that serve as one-electron transmitter and substrate of the reductase part of PSII, respectively. Among the ligands of the NHI is a (bi)carbonate originating from CO2, the substrate of the dark reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. Based on recent advances in the crystallography of PSII, we review the structure of the NHI in PSII and discuss ideas concerning its function and the role of bicarbonate along with a comparison to the reaction center of purple bacteria and other enzymes containing a mononuclear NHI site.

Herbicide effect on the photodamage process of photosystem II: fourier transform infrared study

The photodamage process of photosystem II by strong illumination was investigated by examining the herbicide effects on the photoinactivation of redox cofactors. O(2)-evolving photosystem II membranes from spinach in the absence of herbicide and in the presence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) and bromoxynil were subjected to strong white-light illumination at 298K, and the illumination-time dependence of the activities of Q(A), the Mn cluster, and P680 were monitored using light-induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy. The decrease in the Q(A) activity was suppressed and accelerated by DCMU and bromoxynil, respectively, in comparison with the sample without herbicide. The intensity change in the S(2)/S(1) FTIR signal of the Mn cluster exhibited a time course virtually identical to that in the Q(A) signal in all the three samples, suggesting that the loss of the S(1)→S(2) transition was ascribed to the Q(A) inactivation and hence the Mn cluster was inactivated not faster than Q(A). The decrease in the P680 signal was always slower than that of Q(A) keeping the tendency of the herbicide effect. Degradation of the D1 protein occurred after the P680 inactivation. These observations are consistent with the acceptor-side mechanism, in which double reduction of Q(A) triggers the formation of (1)O(2)* to promote further damage to other cofactors and the D1 protein, rather than the recently proposed mechanism that inactivation of the Mn cluster initiates the photodamage. Thus, the results of the present study support the view that the acceptor-side mechanism dominantly occurs in the photodamage to PSII by strong white-light illumination.

Light-induced quinone reduction in photosystem II

The photosystem II core complex is the water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase of oxygenic photosynthesis situated in the thylakoid membrane of cyanobacteria, algae and plants. It catalyzes the light-induced transfer of electrons from water to plastoquinone accompanied by the net transport of protons from the cytoplasm (stroma) to the lumen, the production of molecular oxygen and the release of plastoquinol into the membrane phase. In this review, we outline our present knowledge about the "acceptor side" of the photosystem II core complex covering the reaction center with focus on the primary (Q(A)) and secondary (Q(B)) quinones situated around the non-heme iron with bound (bi)carbonate and a comparison with the reaction center of purple bacteria. Related topics addressed are quinone diffusion channels for plastoquinone/plastoquinol exchange, the newly discovered third quinone Q(C), the relevance of lipids, the interactions of quinones with the still enigmatic cytochrome b559 and the role of Q(A) in photoinhibition and photoprotection mechanisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosystem II.

Structural basis of cyanobacterial photosystem II Inhibition by the herbicide terbutryn

Herbicides that target photosystem II (PSII) compete with the native electron acceptor plastoquinone for binding at the Q(B) site in the D1 subunit and thus block the electron transfer from Q(A) to Q(B). Here, we present the first crystal structure of PSII with a bound herbicide at a resolution of 3.2 Å. The crystallized PSII core complexes were isolated from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. The used herbicide terbutryn is found to bind via at least two hydrogen bonds to the Q(B) site similar to photosynthetic reaction centers in anoxygenic purple bacteria. Herbicide binding to PSII is also discussed regarding the influence on the redox potential of Q(A), which is known to affect photoinhibition. We further identified a second and novel chloride position close to the water-oxidizing complex and in the vicinity of the chloride ion reported earlier (Guskov, A., Kern, J., Gabdulkhakov, A., Broser, M., Zouni, A., and Saenger, W. (2009) Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 16, 334-342). This discovery is discussed in the context of proton transfer to the lumen.

Energetics in photosystem II from Thermosynechococcus elongatus with a D1 protein encoded by either the psbA1 or psbA3 gene

The main cofactors involved in the function of Photosystem II (PSII) are borne by the D1 and D2 proteins. In some cyanobacteria, the D1 protein is encoded by different psbA genes. In Thermosynechococcus elongatus the amino acid sequence deduced from the psbA3 gene compared to that deduced from the psbA1 gene points a difference of 21 residues. In this work, PSII isolated from a wild type T. elongatus strain expressing PsbA1 or from a strain in which both the psbA1 and psbA2 genes have been deleted were studied by a range of spectroscopies in the absence or the presence of either a urea type herbicide, DCMU, or a phenolic type herbicide, bromoxynil. Spectro-electrochemical measurements show that the redox potential of PheoD1 is increased by 17 mV from -522 mV in PsbA1-PSII to -505 mV in PsbA3-PSII. This increase is about half that found upon the D1-Q130E single site directed mutagenesis in Synechocystis PCC 6803. This suggests that the effects of the D1-Q130E substitution are, at least partly, compensated for by some of the additional amino-acid changes associated with the PsbA3 for PsbA1 substitution. The thermoluminescence from the S2QA-* charge recombination and the C identical with N vibrational modes of bromoxynil detected in the non-heme iron FTIR difference spectra support two binding sites (or one site with two conformations) for bromoxynil in PsbA3-PSII instead of one in PsbA1-PSII which suggests differences in the QB pocket. The temperature dependences of the S2QA-* charge recombination show that the strength of the H-bond to PheoD1 is not the only functionally relevant difference between the PsbA3-PSII and PsbA1-PSII and that the environment of QA (and, as a consequence, its redox potential) is modified as well. The electron transfer rate between P680+* and YZ is found faster in PsbA3 than in PsbA1 which suggests that the redox potential of the P680/P680+* couple (and hence that of 1P680*/P680+*) is tuned as well when shifting from PsbA1 to PsbA3. In addition to D1-Q130E, the non-conservative amongst the 21 amino acid substitutions, D1-S270A and D1-S153A, are proposed to be involved in some of the observed changes.

Photosystem II: The machinery of photosynthetic water splitting

This review summarizes our current state of knowledge on the structural organization and functional pattern of photosynthetic water splitting in the multimeric Photosystem II (PS II) complex, which acts as a light-driven water: plastoquinone-oxidoreductase. The overall process comprises three types of reaction sequences: (1) photon absorption and excited singlet state trapping by charge separation leading to the ion radical pair [Formula: see text] formation, (2) oxidative water splitting into four protons and molecular dioxygen at the water oxidizing complex (WOC) with P680+* as driving force and tyrosine Y(Z) as intermediary redox carrier, and (3) reduction of plastoquinone to plastoquinol at the special Q(B) binding site with Q(A)-* acting as reductant. Based on recent progress in structure analysis and using new theoretical approaches the mechanism of reaction sequence (1) is discussed with special emphasis on the excited energy transfer pathways and the sequence of charge transfer steps: [Formula: see text] where (1)(RC-PC)* denotes the excited singlet state (1)P680* of the reaction centre pigment complex. The structure of the catalytic Mn(4)O(X)Ca cluster of the WOC and the four step reaction sequence leading to oxidative water splitting are described and problems arising for the electronic configuration, in particular for the nature of redox state S(3), are discussed. The unravelling of the mode of O-O bond formation is of key relevance for understanding the mechanism of the process. This problem is not yet solved. A multistate model is proposed for S(3) and the functional role of proton shifts and hydrogen bond network(s) is emphasized. Analogously, the structure of the Q(B) site for PQ reduction to PQH(2) and the energetic and kinetics of the two step redox reaction sequence are described. Furthermore, the relevance of the protein dynamics and the role of water molecules for its flexibility are briefly outlined. We end this review by presenting future perspectives on the water oxidation process.