Photochemical activities of reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides at low temperature and in the presence of chaotropic agents

Remembering Jan Amesz (1934-2001): a great gentleman, a major discoverer, and an internationally renowned biophysicist of both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesisa

We present here the research contributions of Jan Amesz (1934-2001) on deciphering the details of the early physico-chemical steps in oxygenic photosynthesis in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, as well as in anoxygenic photosynthesis in purple, green, and heliobacteria. His research included light absorption and the mechanism of excitation energy transfer, primary photochemistry, and electron transfer steps until the reduction of pyridine nucleotides. Among his many discoveries, we emphasize his 1961 proof, with L. N. M. Duysens, of the "series scheme" of oxygenic photosynthesis, through antagonistic effects of Light I and II on the redox state of cytochrome f. Further, we highlight the following research on oxygenic photosynthesis: the experimental direct proof that plastoquinone and plastocyanin function at their respective places in the Z-scheme. In addition, Amesz's major contributions were in unraveling the mechanism of excitation energy transfer and electron transport steps in anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (purple, green and heliobacteria). Before we present his research, focusing on his key discoveries, we provide a glimpse of his personal life. We end this Tribute with reminiscences from three of his former doctoral students (Sigi Neerken; Hjalmar Pernentier, and Frank Kleinherenbrink) and from several scientists (Suleyman Allakhverdiev; Robert Blankenship; Richard Cogdell) including two of the authors (G. Garab and A. Stirbet) of this Tribute.

Use of 8-analino-1-naphthalene sulfonate as a monitor for possible phase transition involving water at low temperatures in photoreaction center from Rhodospirillum rubrum

The increase in the rate of the primary back reaction on cooling the photoreaction center from Rhodospirillum rubrum was interpreted in terms of a model in which the peculiar temperature dependence of the rate results from a phase transition involving water. The primary back reaction is defined as the return of the electron from the reduced primary ubiquinone to the oxidized bacteriochlorophyll molecules following illumination. The dye 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate was used to detect the state of the water solvent as it transforms on cooling from a liquid to a solid glass. We inferred from studies with air-dried films of photoreaction center that the water which may be responsible for the unusual temperature dependence of the rate of the primary back reaction is not on the surface but is bound within the photoreaction center protein.

Possible role of protein in photosynthetic electron transfer

Photosynthetic electron transfer is discussed from a theoretical viewpoint. Theoretical description of electron transfer including the effect of low-frequency mode of protein is first discussed briefly. Then typical electron transfers in the primary photosynthesis are discussed as examples for the comparison between the theory and experiments. Attention is focussed on the fact that the photosynthetic system organizes a variety of electron transfers in a systematic manner to achieve a vary efficient energy conversion, and it is suggested that the protein environment plays an important role in controlling the rate of electron transfer and maximizing the efficiency of the primary reaction. We emphasize that not only the electronic but also vibrational interactions are important for the regulation of electron transfer. Some novel processes such as activationless and negative activation transfers are shown to be connected with the significance of vibrational factor.

Transfer of light-induced electron-spin polarization from the intermediary acceptor to the prereduced primary acceptor in the reaction center of photosynthetic bacteria

In reaction centers and chromatophores of photosynthetic bacteria strong light-induced emissive ESR signals have been found, not only after a flash but also under continuous illumination. The signal, with g = 2.0048 and delta Hpp = 7.6 G, is only present under reducing conditions in material in which the primary acceptor, ubiquinone, U and its associated high-spin ferrous ion are magnetically uncoupled. its amplitude under continuous illumination is strongly dependent on light intensity and on microwave power. The emissive signal is attributed to the prereduced primary acceptor, U-, which becomes polarized through transfer of spin polarization by a magnetic exchange interaction with the photoreduced, spin polarized intermediary acceptor, I-. A kinetic model is presented which explains the observed dependence of emissivity on light intensity and microwave power. Applying this analysis to the light saturation data, a value of the exchange rate between I- and U- of 4.10(8) s-1 is derived, corresponding to an exchange interaction of 3--5 G.

Electrochromic absorbance changes of photosynthetic pigments in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. I. Stimulation by secondary electron transport at low temperature

Light-induced absorbance changes were measured at temperatures between --30 and --55 degrees C in chromatophores of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. Absorbance changes due to photooxidation of reaction center bacteriochlorophyll (P-870) were accompanied by a red shift of the absorption bands of a carotenoid. The red shift was inhibited by gramicidin D. The kinetics of P-870 indicated electron transport from the "primary" to a secondary electron acceptor. This electron transport was slowed down by lowering the temperature or increasing the pH of the suspension. Electron transport from soluble cytochrome c to P-870+ occurred in less purified chromatophore preparations. This electron transport was accompanied by a relatively large increase of the carotenoid absorbance change. This agrees with the hypothesis that P-870 is located inside the membrane, so that an additional membrane potential is generated upon transfer of an electron from cytochrome to P-870+. A strong stimulation of the carotenoid changes (more than 10-fold in some experiments) and pronounced band shifts of bacteriochlorophyll B-850 were observed upon illumination in the presence of artifical donor-acceptor systems. Reduced N-methylphenazonium methosulphate (PMS) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylene-diamine (TMPD) were fairly efficient donors, whereas endogenous ubiquinone and oxidized PMS acted as secondary acceptor. These results indicate the generation of large membrane potentials at low temperature, caused by sustained electron transport across the chromatophore membrane. The artificial probe, merocyanine MC-V did not show electrochromic band shifts at low temperature.

On the magnetic field dependence of the yield of the triplet state in reaction centers of photosynthetic bacteria

The yield of the triplet state in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides is dependent on the strength of an applied magnetic field. Reaction centers of the wild type that lack a functional iron complexed to the primary acceptor ubiquinone show a dependence similar to that of reaction centers of the mutant R-26 in which the iron-ubiquinone complex is intact. Apparently, the iron of the iron-ubiquinone complex is not essential to the effect, but it does exert an influence on its extent. Inchromatophores, the effect is about 2-fold decreased; the value of the magnetic field at which half the effect is found is about 500 G, in contrast to this value for reaction centers, which is 50--100 G. The magnetodependence of the triplet yield is discussed in terms of the Chemically Induced Dynamic Electron Polarization mechanism (CIDEP).