A rapid procedure for isolating the photosystem i reaction center in a highly enriched form

Thirty years of fun with antenna pigment-proteins and photochemical reaction centers: A tribute to the people who have influenced my career

The author summarizes the research contributions to photosynthesis made by him, his graduate and postdoctoral students, visiting scientists and by his collaboration with other photosynthesis workers during 1964-1994. The development of isolation procedures and biochemical/biophysical characterization of antenna pigment-proteins and photochemical reaction centers are described together with the author's education and experiences as a scientific researcher. Some anecdotes hopefully add insight into what it was like to be in this area of science during the period.

Energy transfer to low energy chlorophyll species prior to trapping by P700 and subsequent electron transfer

It is found that the two singlet state lifetimes observed in medium sized isolated Photosystem One reaction centres belong to two distinct sets of particles. The nanosecond lifetime is due to PS1 particles in which P700 does not trap excitation energy, and the excitation energy is homogeneously distributed within the antennae of these particles. The spectral features of the picosecond component show that excitation energy in the antenna has become largely concentrated in one or more low energy (red) chlorophyll species within 3.5 ps. Antennae which have become decoupled from P700 also appear to be decoupled from these red "ancillary" chlorophylls, and this suggests that some substructure or level of organisation links them to P700.The rate of quenching of antenna singlet states appears to be independent of the redox state of P700 under the conditions used here, and oxidising P700 does not prevent excitation energy from reaching the red chlorophyll species in the antenna.We find no evidence in the data presented here of a chlorophyll molecule acting as a "metastable" primary acceptor (A0). The lower limit for the detection of such a species in these data is 20% of the optical density of the transient P700 bleach.

Polypeptide patterns obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of thylakoid membranes isolated from light and dark grown strains of Chlorogloea fritschii

Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been used to determine the difference between thylakoid polypeptide patterns of light and dark grown strains of the cyanobacterium Chlorogloea fritschii. There were only 2 prominent bands present in the dark grown strains, polypeptide Mr50,000 and polypeptide Mr90,000, also five fainter bands in the Mr range 45,000-66,200 corresponding to photosystem one, compared with the 32 bands present in the light grown strains. There was no obvious indication of the Mr 33,000 3-(3,4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl-urea binding protein. In addition the progressive daily development of the various photosystem components in the light and their relationship in photosynthesis was determined. It was observed that the increase of the relative concentrations of the photosystem two and phycocyanin components indicated their developments are mutually synchronized. The effect of light to dark and dark to light transfer on established strains was investigated. Appreciable loss of photosystem two components and the presence of an additional band Mr22,500 of unknown function in the light to dark transfer, and little reactivation of the photosynthetic capabilities in the dark to light transfer was observed.

A single step separation of PS 1, PS 2 and chlorophyll-antenna particles from spinach chloroplasts

After solubilization of photosynthetic membranes by digitonin, three main protein pigment complexes were isolated by electrophoresis with deoxycholate as detergent.The band with the slowest mobility, fraction 1, had PS 1 activity and was devoid of PS 2 activity. This fraction was four times enriched in P700 when compared with chloroplasts. Fraction 1 had little chl b, a long wavelength absorption maximum in the red, a maximum of low temperature emission fluorescence at 730nm, and a circular dichroism spectrum characteristic of PS 1 enriched fraction.Fraction 2 exhibited a PS 2 activity and no PS 1 activity. It was enriched five times in PS 2 reaction centre and had little chl b and carotenoids. The absorption maximum was at 674 nm and the low temperature fluorescence emission maximum was at 700 nm. Fraction 2 might be useful PS 2 enriched particle because of the great stability of this fraction with regard to photochemical activity and also rapidity and simplicity of its preparation.Fraction 3, which had the fastest migration, was devoid of photochemical activities; It was rich in chl b and had the fluorescence and the circular dichroism spectrum characteristic of an antenna complex.

Reconstitution of photosynthetic energy conservation. I. Proton movements in liposomes containing reaction center of photosystem I from spinach chloroplasts

A preparation of reaction centers of photosystem I from spinach chloroplasts was incorporated into lipid vesicles by sonication. Incorporation was tested by chromatography on Sepharose-4B, by comparison of the elution profiles of photosystem-I reaction center liposomes and of free reaction centers. In the presence of reduced N-methylphenazonium methosulfate the reaction center liposomes catalyzed net proton extrusion in the light, but at the same time showed light-induced quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence, with similar extent and kinetics as known for chloroplasts. We conclude that we are dealing with two vesicle populations, one right side-out and one inside-out with respect to the orientation of the incorporated reaction center complex. Net proton movements are influenced by the nature of the cations present in the suspending medium, and the possibilities for effects of surface charge on these movements are discussed.

P-700 content and polypeptide profile of chlorophyll-protein complexes of spinach and barley thylakoids

Of the six chlorophyll-protein complexes of spinach and barley resolved by mild gel electrophoresis, two were chlorophyll a-protein complexes of PS I, namely CP1a and CP1, which accounted for up to 30% of the total chlorophyll. Both of these complexes had one P-700 per 120 chlorophyll a molecules. Since spinach and barley thylakoids have some 400 chlorophyll molecules per P-700, these complexes may not have lost any of the chlorophyll associated with them in vivo. This may account for CP1a and CP1 having the characteristic low-temperature fluorescence normally associated with PS I in vivo, which is not found in complexes with low chlorophyll/P-700 ratios. Two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that all of the chlorophyll a and P-700 of CP1 was bound to 70 kilodalton polypeptides. The PS I reaction centre complex of lowest mobility, CP1a, contained CP1 and four additional low molecular weight polypeptides. The three light-harvesting complexes resolved had major 25 and 23 kilodalton polypeptides. The presumed reaction centre complex of PS II contained major 50 and 47 kilodalton polypeptides.

The fractionation of plant photoactive pigment-protein complexes I and II

The pigment-protein complexes enriched with Photosystem I (PPC-I) and Photosystem II (PPC-II) were obtained using sievorptive chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex column. Both types of complexes contain Chlorophyll a, beta-carotene and minor quantities of Chl b. Red absorbance maxima are located at 676 nm and 673 nm for PPC-I and PPC-II, respectively. The degrees of reaction centre enrichment were measured by the method of differential spectrophotometry: PPC-I has one P-700 per 35 bulk Chl a molecules, PPC-II contains one P-680 per 18 bulk Chl a molecules. The yield of PPC-II is 7--10 times lower than that of PPC-I. After one chromatographic procedure the amount of P-680 in PPC-I preparation does not exceed 7% of that of P-700, the amount of P-700 in PPC-II preparation 2% of that of P-680. The product of PPC-II degradation was studied.

Contribution to the structural characterization of eucaryotic PSI reaction centre-I. Critical analysis of the polypeptidic composition of different P700 enriched fractions

In thylakoid membranes, several peptides of high MW† are present which may interfere with the study of CP1's components. Modifying Cleveland's technique [7] for limited proteolysis, we have characterized the polypeptides found in the 60 kD region. Some may result from incomplete washing of the CF1 while others come from the CP1; indeed, this chlorophyll protein complex, which has a higher MW (above 100 kD), very often undergoes a dissociation into smaller components of about 60 KD MW.Analysis of the protein content of different preparations commonly used to obtain PSI reaction centre enriched fractions has been performed. The α and β subunits of CF1 are among the main contaminants of most of these preparations. A further purification step is described which can be applied to all these preparations, but numerous peptides are still present in the active fractions. It is most unlikely that all these polypeptides are required for the primary photochemical event, and this emphasizes the necessity to find a new simple method to purify PSI reaction centres.

Contribution to the structural characterization of eucaryotic PSI reaction centre - II. Characterization of a highly purified photoactive SDS-CP1 complex

Under precise conditions, SDS PAGE† allows purification of a photoactive P700-chla-protein complex from eucaryotic cells. The yield of P700 recovery is close to 100%. A total protein content equivalent to about 140 kD for one mole of P700 has been estimated by chemical analysis, and electrophoresis revealed the presence of two peptidic chains with MWs close to 65 kD. Photochemical and structural properties of this complex are given and compared with those of other complexes previously isolated.