1
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Saraceno P, Sardar S, Caferri R, Camargo FVA, Dall'Osto L, D'Andrea C, Bassi R, Cupellini L, Cerullo G, Mennucci B. Probing the Effect of Mutations on Light Harvesting in CP29 by Transient Absorption and First-Principles Simulations. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:6398-6408. [PMID: 38861672 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Natural light harvesting is exceptionally efficient thanks to the local energy funnel created within light-harvesting complexes (LHCs). To understand the design principles underlying energy transport in LHCs, ultrafast spectroscopy is often complemented by mutational studies that introduce perturbations into the excitonic structure of the natural complexes. However, such studies may fall short of identifying all excitation energy transfer (EET) pathways and their changes upon mutation. Here, we show that a synergistic combination of first-principles calculations and ultrafast spectroscopy can give unprecedented insight into the EET pathways occurring within LHCs. We measured the transient absorption spectra of the minor CP29 complex of plants and of two mutants, systematically mapping the kinetic components seen in experiments to the simulated exciton dynamics. With our combined strategy, we show that EET in CP29 is surprisingly robust to the changes in the exciton states induced by mutations, explaining the versatility of plant LHCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piermarco Saraceno
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Samim Sardar
- Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Caferri
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Franco V A Camargo
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Dall'Osto
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Cosimo D'Andrea
- Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Bassi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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2
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Dong JY, Kitahama Y, Fujita T, Adachi M, Shigeta Y, Ishizaki A, Tanaka S, Xiao TH, Goda K. Manipulation of photosynthetic energy transfer by vibrational strong coupling. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:045101. [PMID: 38284659 DOI: 10.1063/5.0183383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the mystery of efficient and directional energy transfer in photosynthetic organisms remains a critical challenge in quantum biology. Recent experimental evidence and quantum theory developments indicate the significance of quantum features of molecular vibrations in assisting photosynthetic energy transfer, which provides the possibility of manipulating the process by controlling molecular vibrations. Here, we propose and theoretically demonstrate efficient manipulation of photosynthetic energy transfer by using vibrational strong coupling between the vibrational state of a Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex and the vacuum state of an optical cavity. Specifically, based on a full-quantum analytical model to describe the strong coupling effect between the optical cavity and molecular vibration, we realize efficient manipulation of energy transfer efficiency (from 58% to 92%) and energy transfer time (from 20 to 500 ps) in one branch of FMO complex by actively controlling the coupling strength and the quality factor of the optical cavity under both near-resonant and off-resonant conditions, respectively. Our work provides a practical scenario to manipulate photosynthetic energy transfer by externally interfering molecular vibrations via an optical cavity and a comprehensible conceptual framework for researching other similar systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Yu Dong
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Kitahama
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- LucasLand, Tokyo 101-0052, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Fujita
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Motoyasu Adachi
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Shigeta
- Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Akihito Ishizaki
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shigenori Tanaka
- Department of Computational Science, Graduate School of System Informatics, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Ting-Hui Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- Henan Key Laboratory of Diamond Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Physics and Microelectronics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
- Institute of Quantum Materials and Physics, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- LucasLand, Tokyo 101-0052, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei 430072, China
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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3
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Liu R, Zhen ZH, Li W, Ge B, Qin S. How can Phycobilisome, the unique light harvesting system in certain algae working highly efficiently: The connection in between structures and functions. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 186:39-52. [PMID: 38030044 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Algae, which are ubiquitous in ecosystems, have evolved a variety of light-harvesting complexes to better adapt to diverse habitats. Phycobilisomes/phycobiliproteins, unique to cyanobacteria, red algae, and certain cryptomonads, compensate for the lack of chlorophyll absorption, allowing algae to capture and efficiently transfer light energy in aquatic environments. With the advancement of microscopy and spectroscopy, the structure and energy transfer processes of increasingly complex phycobilisomes have been elucidated, providing us with a vivid portrait of the dynamic adaptation of their structures to the light environment in which algae thrive: 1) Cyanobacteria living on the surface of the water use short, small phycobilisomes to absorb red-orange light and reduce the damage from blue-violet light via multiple methods; 2) Large red algae inhabiting the depths of the ocean have evolved long and dense phycobilisomes containing phycoerythrin to capture the feeble blue-green light; 3) In far-red light environments such as caves, algae use special allophycocyanin cores to optimally utilize the far-red light; 4) When the environment shifts, algae can adjust the length, composition and density of their rods to better adapt; 5) By carefully designing the position of the pigments, phycobilisomes can transfer light energy to the reaction center with nearly 100% efficiency via three energy transfer processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runze Liu
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Zhang-He Zhen
- Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China
| | - Baosheng Ge
- China University of Petroleum (HUADONG), Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, China
| | - Song Qin
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
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4
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Saraceno P, Sláma V, Cupellini L. First-principles simulation of excitation energy transfer and transient absorption spectroscopy in the CP29 light-harvesting complex. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:184112. [PMID: 37962444 DOI: 10.1063/5.0170295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of delocalized excitons in light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) can be investigated using different experimental techniques, and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy is one of the most valuable methods for this purpose. A careful interpretation of TA spectra is essential for the clarification of excitation energy transfer (EET) processes occurring during light-harvesting. However, even in the simplest LHCs, a physical model is needed to interpret transient spectra as the number of EET processes occurring at the same time is very large to be disentangled from measurements alone. Physical EET models are commonly built by fittings of the microscopic exciton Hamiltonians and exciton-vibrational parameters, an approach that can lead to biases. Here, we present a first-principles strategy to simulate EET and transient absorption spectra in LHCs, combining molecular dynamics and accurate multiscale quantum chemical calculations to obtain an independent estimate of the excitonic structure of the complex. The microscopic parameters thus obtained are then used in EET simulations to obtain the population dynamics and the related spectroscopic signature. We apply this approach to the CP29 minor antenna complex of plants for which we follow the EET dynamics and transient spectra after excitation in the chlorophyll b region. Our calculations reproduce all the main features observed in the transient absorption spectra and provide independent insight on the excited-state dynamics of CP29. The approach presented here lays the groundwork for the accurate simulation of EET and unbiased interpretation of transient spectra in multichromophoric systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piermarco Saraceno
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vladislav Sláma
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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5
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Calderón LF, Chuang C, Brumer P. Electronic-Vibrational Resonance Does Not Significantly Alter Steady-State Transport in Natural Light-Harvesting Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:1436-1444. [PMID: 36734680 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Oscillations in time-dependent two-dimensional electronic spectra appear as evidence of quantum coherence in light-harvesting systems related to electronic-vibrational resonant interactions. Nature, however, takes place in a non-equilibrium steady-state; therefore, the relevance of these arguments to the natural process is unclear. Here, we examine the role of intramolecular vibrations in the non-equilibrium steady-state of photosynthetic dimers in the natural scenario of incoherent light excitation. Specifically, we analyze the PEB dimer in the cryptophyte algae PE545 antenna protein. It is found that vibrations resonant with the energy difference between exciton states only marginally increase the quantum yield and the imaginary part of the intersite coherence that is relevant for transport compared to non-resonant vibrations in the natural non-equilibrium steady-state. That is, the electronic-vibrational resonance interaction does not significantly enhance energy transport under natural incoherent light excitation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo F Calderón
- Chemical Physics Theory Group, Department of Chemistry, and Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- Grupo de Física Computacional en Materia Condensada, Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 27 Calle 9, Bucaramanga, Santander 680002, Colombia
| | - Chern Chuang
- Chemical Physics Theory Group, Department of Chemistry, and Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Paul Brumer
- Chemical Physics Theory Group, Department of Chemistry, and Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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6
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Nöthling JA, Mancal T, Kruger T. Accuracy of approximate methods for the calculation of absorption-type linear spectra with a complex system-bath coupling. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:095103. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0100977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The accuracy of approximate methods for calculating linear optical spectra depends on many variables. In this study, we fix most of these parameters to typical values found in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes of plants and determine the accuracy of approximate spectra with respect to exact calculation as a function of the energy gap and interpigment coupling in a pigment dimer. We use a spectral density with the first eight intramolecular modes of chlorophyll a and include inhomogeneous disorder for the calculation of spectra. We compare the accuracy of absorption, linear dichroism, and circular dichroism spectra calculated using the Full Cumulant Expansion (FCE), coherent time-dependent Redfield (ctR), and time-independent Redfield and modified Redfield methods. As a reference we use spectra calculated with the Exact Stochastic Path Integral Evaluation method. We find the FCE method to be the most accurate for the calculation of all spectra. The ctR method performs well for the qualitative calculation of absorption and linear dichroism spectra when pigments are moderately coupled (∼15 cm-1), but ctR spectra may differ significantly from exact spectra when strong interpigment coupling (>100 cm-1) is present. The dependence of the quality of Redfield and modified Redfield spectra on molecular parameters is similar, and these methods almost always perform worse than ctR, especially when the interpigment coupling is strong or the excitonic energy gap is small (for a given coupling). The accuracy of approximate spectra is not affected by resonance with intramolecular modes for typical system-bath coupling and disorder values found in plant light-harvesting complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomas Mancal
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Czech Republic
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7
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Moya R, Norris AC, Spangler LC, Scholes GD, Schlau-Cohen GS. Observation of conformational dynamics in single light-harvesting proteins from cryptophyte algae. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:035102. [PMID: 35868944 PMCID: PMC9894659 DOI: 10.1063/5.0095763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms use pigment-protein complexes to capture the sunlight that powers most life on earth. Within these complexes, the position of the embedded pigments is all optimized for light harvesting. At the same time, the protein scaffold undergoes thermal fluctuations that vary the structure, and, thus, photophysics, of the complexes. While these variations are averaged out in ensemble measurements, single-molecule spectroscopy provides the ability to probe these conformational changes. We used single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to identify the photophysical substates reflective of distinct conformations and the associated conformational dynamics in phycoerythrin 545 (PE545), a pigment-protein complex from cryptophyte algae. Rapid switching between photophysical states was observed, indicating that ensemble measurements average over a conformational equilibrium. A highly quenched conformation was also identified, and its population increased under high light. This discovery establishes that PE545 has the characteristics to serve as a photoprotective site. Finally, unlike homologous proteins from the evolutionarily related cyanobacteria and red algae, quenching was not observed upon photobleaching, which may allow for robust photophysics without the need for rapid repair or replacement machinery. Collectively, these observations establish the presence of a rich and robust set of conformational states of PE545. Cryptophytes exhibit particularly diverse energetics owing to the variety of microenvironments in which they survive, and the conformational states and dynamics reported here may provide photophysical flexibility that contributes to their remarkable ability to flourish under diverse conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymundo Moya
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Audrey C. Norris
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Leah C. Spangler
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Gregory D. Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Gabriela S. Schlau-Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA,Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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8
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Villani G. A Time-Dependent Quantum Approach to Allostery and a Comparison With Light-Harvesting in Photosynthetic Phenomenon. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:156. [PMID: 33005625 PMCID: PMC7483663 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The allosteric effect is one of the most important processes in regulating the function of proteins, and the elucidation of this phenomenon plays a significant role in understanding emergent behaviors in biological regulation. In this process, a perturbation, generated by a ligand in a part of the macromolecule (the allosteric site), moves along this system and reaches a specific (active) site, dozens of Ångströms away, with a great efficiency. The dynamics of this perturbation in the macromolecule can model precisely the allosteric process. In this article, we will be studying the general characteristics of allostery, using a time-dependent quantum approach to obtain rules that apply to this kind of process. Considering the perturbation as a wave that moves within the molecular system, we will characterize the allosteric process with three of the properties of this wave in the active site: (1) ta, the characteristic time for reaching that site, (2) Aa, the amplitude of the wave in this site, and (3) Ba, its corresponding spectral broadening. These three parameters, together with the process mechanism and the perturbation efficiency in the process, can describe the phenomenon. One of the main purposes of this paper is to link the parameters ta, Aa, and Ba and the perturbation efficiency to the characteristics of the system. There is another fundamental process for life that has some characteristics similar to allostery: the light-harvesting (LH) process in photosynthesis. Here, as in allostery, two distant macromolecular sites are involved—two sites dozens of Ångströms away. In both processes, it is particularly important that the perturbation is distributed efficiently without dissipating in the infinite degrees of freedom within the macromolecule. The importance of considering quantum effects in the LH process is well documented in literature, and the quantum coherences are experimentally proven by time-dependent spectroscopic techniques. Given the existing similarities between these two processes in macromolecules, in this work, we suggest using Quantum Mechanics (QM) to study allostery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Villani
- Istituto di Chimica dei Composti OrganoMetallici (UOS Pisa) - CNR, Area della Ricerca di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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9
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Tong Z, Huai Z, Mei Y, Mo Y. Reproducing the low-temperature excitation energy transfer dynamics of phycoerythrin 545 light-harvesting complex with a structure-based model Hamiltonian. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:135101. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5135999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqing Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Zhe Huai
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Ye Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Yan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
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10
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Siwiak-Jaszek S, Olaya-Castro A. Transient synchronisation and quantum coherence in a bio-inspired vibronic dimer. Faraday Discuss 2019; 216:38-56. [PMID: 31062011 DOI: 10.1039/c9fd00006b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Synchronisation is a collective phenomenon widely investigated in classical oscillators and, more recently, in quantum systems. However it remains unclear what features distinguish synchronous behaviour in these two scenarios. Recent works have shown that investigating synchronisation dynamics in open quantum systems can give insight into this issue. Here we study transient synchronisation in a bio-inspired vibronic dimer, where electronic excitation dynamics is mediated by coherent interactions with intramolecular vibrational modes. We show that the synchronisation dynamics of local mode displacements exhibit a rich behaviour which arises directly from the distinct time-evolutions of different vibronic quantum coherences. Furthermore, our study shows that coherent energy transport in this bio-inspired system is concomitant with the emergence of positive synchronisation between mode displacements. Our work provides further understanding of the relations between quantum coherence and synchronisation in open quantum systems and suggests an interesting role for coherence in biomolecules, that of promoting synchronisation of vibrational motions driven out of thermal equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Siwiak-Jaszek
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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11
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Segatta F, Cupellini L, Garavelli M, Mennucci B. Quantum Chemical Modeling of the Photoinduced Activity of Multichromophoric Biosystems. Chem Rev 2019; 119:9361-9380. [PMID: 31276384 PMCID: PMC6716121 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Multichromophoric biosystems represent a broad family with very diverse members, ranging from light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes to nucleic acids. The former are designed to capture, harvest, efficiently transport, and transform energy from sunlight for photosynthesis, while the latter should dissipate the absorbed radiation as quickly as possible to prevent photodamages and corruption of the carried genetic information. Because of the unique electronic and structural characteristics, the modeling of their photoinduced activity is a real challenge. Numerous approaches have been devised building on the theoretical development achieved for single chromophores and on model Hamiltonians that capture the essential features of the system. Still, a question remains: is a general strategy for the accurate modeling of multichromophoric systems possible? By using a quantum chemical point of view, here we review the advancements developed so far highlighting differences and similarities with the single chromophore treatment. Finally, we outline the important limitations and challenges that still need to be tackled to reach a complete and accurate picture of their photoinduced properties and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Segatta
- Dipartimento
di Chimica Industriale “Toso Montanari” University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University
of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Garavelli
- Dipartimento
di Chimica Industriale “Toso Montanari” University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University
of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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12
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Trushechkin A. Calculation of coherences in Förster and modified Redfield theories of excitation energy transfer. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:074101. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5100967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Trushechkin
- Steklov Mathematical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Gubkina 8, 119991 Moscow, Russia and National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Leninsky Avenue 2, 119049 Moscow, Russia
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13
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Corbella M, Cupellini L, Lipparini F, Scholes GD, Curutchet C. Spectral Variability in Phycocyanin Cryptophyte Antenna Complexes is Controlled by Changes in the α‐Polypeptide Chains. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.201900045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Corbella
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC-UB), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food SciencesUniversity of Barcelona Av. Joan XXIII s/n 08028 Barcelona Spain
- Department of ChemistryUppsala University BMC Box 576 Uppsala S-751 23 Sweden
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica IndustrialeUniversity of Pisa Via Risorgimento 35 56126 Pisa Italy
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology Baldiri Reixac 10 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica IndustrialeUniversity of Pisa Via Risorgimento 35 56126 Pisa Italy
| | - Gregory D. Scholes
- Department of ChemistryPrinceton University Washington Road, Princeton New Jersey 08544 United States
| | - Carles Curutchet
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC-UB), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food SciencesUniversity of Barcelona Av. Joan XXIII s/n 08028 Barcelona Spain
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14
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Tong Z, Huai Z, Mei Y, Mo Y. Influence of the Protein Environment on the Electronic Excitation of Chromophores in the Phycoerythrin 545 Light–Harvesting Complex: A Combined MD-QM/MM Method with Polarized Protein–Specific Charge Scheme. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:2040-2049. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b11764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqing Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Materials Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Zhe Huai
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Materials Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Ye Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Materials Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Yan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, School of Physics and Materials Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
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15
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Corbella M, Toa ZSD, Scholes GD, Luque FJ, Curutchet C. Determination of the protonation preferences of bilin pigments in cryptophyte antenna complexes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:21404-21416. [PMID: 30105318 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp02541j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The light-harvesting mechanisms of cryptophyte antenna complexes have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to exhibit maximal photosynthetic activity under very low-light conditions and to display several colors, as well as the observation of vibronic coherent features in their two-dimensional electronic spectra. However, detailed investigations on the interplay between the protein environment and their light-harvesting properties are hampered by the uncertainty related to the protonation state of the underlying bilin pigments. Here we study the protonation preferences of four types of bilin pigments including 15,16-dihydrobiliverdin (DBV), phycoerythrobilin (PEB), phycocyanobilin (PCB) and mesobiliverdin (MBV), which are found in phycoerythrin PE545 and phycocyanin PC577, PC612, PC630 and PC645 complexes. We apply quantum chemical calculations coupled to continuum solvation calculations to predict the intrinsic acidity of bilins in aqueous solution, and then combine molecular dynamics simulations with empirical pKa estimates to investigate the impact of the local protein environment on the acidity of the pigments. We also report measurements of the absorption spectra of the five complexes in a wide range of pH in order to validate our simulations and investigate possible changes in the light harvesting properties of the complexes in the range of physiological pH found in the lumen (pH ∼ 5-7). The results suggest a pKa > 7 for DBV and MBV pigments in the α polypeptide chains of PE545 and PC630/PC645 complexes, which are not coordinated to a negatively charged amino acid. For the other PEB, DBV and PCB pigments, which interact with a Glu or Asp side chain, higher pKa values (pKa > 8) are estimated. Overall, the results support a preferential population of the fully protonated state for bilins in cryptophyte complexes under physiological conditions regardless of the specific type of pigment and local protein environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Corbella
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Fisicoquímica and Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Pouyandeh S, Iubini S, Jurinovich S, Omar Y, Mennucci B, Piazza F. Exciton transport in the PE545 complex: insight from atomistic QM/MM-based quantum master equations and elastic network models. Phys Biol 2017; 14:066001. [PMID: 28976354 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/aa90ea] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we work out a parameterization of environmental noise within the Haken-Strobl-Reinenker (HSR) model for the PE545 light-harvesting complex, based on atomic-level quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations. We use this approach to investigate the role of various auto- and cross-correlations in the HSR noise tensor, confirming that site-energy autocorrelations (pure dephasing) terms dominate the noise-induced exciton mobility enhancement, followed by site energy-coupling cross-correlations for specific triplets of pigments. Interestingly, several cross-correlations of the latter kind, together with coupling-coupling cross-correlations, display clear low-frequency signatures in their spectral densities in the 30-70 [Formula: see text] region. These slow components lie at the limits of validity of the HSR approach, which requires that environmental fluctuations be faster than typical exciton transfer time scales. We show that a simple coarse-grained elastic-network-model (ENM) analysis of the PE545 protein naturally spotlights collective normal modes in this frequency range that represent specific concerted motions of the subnetwork of cysteines covalenty linked to the pigments. This analysis strongly suggests that protein scaffolds in light-harvesting complexes are able to express specific collective, low-frequency normal modes providing a fold-rooted blueprint of exciton transport pathways. We speculate that ENM-based mixed quantum classical methods, such as Ehrenfest dynamics, might be promising tools to disentangle the fundamental designing principles of these dynamical processes in natural and artificial light-harvesting structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Pouyandeh
- Instituto de Telecomunicações, Physics of Information and Quantum Technologies Group, Portugal. Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, (CBM), CNRS UPR 4301, Rue C. Sadron, 45071, Orléans, France
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Lee MK, Bravaya KB, Coker DF. First-Principles Models for Biological Light-Harvesting: Phycobiliprotein Complexes from Cryptophyte Algae. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:7803-7814. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b01780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mi Kyung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Ksenia B. Bravaya
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - David F. Coker
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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18
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van Stokkum IHM, Jumper CC, Snellenburg JJ, Scholes GD, van Grondelle R, Malý P. Estimation of damped oscillation associated spectra from ultrafast transient absorption spectra. J Chem Phys 2017; 145:174201. [PMID: 27825230 DOI: 10.1063/1.4966196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
When exciting a complex molecular system with a short optical pulse, all chromophores present in the system can be excited. The resulting superposition of electronically and vibrationally excited states evolves in time, which is monitored with transient absorption spectroscopy. We present a methodology to resolve simultaneously the contributions of the different electronically and vibrationally excited states from the complete data. The evolution of the excited states is described with a superposition of damped oscillations. The amplitude of a damped oscillation cos(ωnt)exp(-γnt) as a function of the detection wavelength constitutes a damped oscillation associated spectrum DOASn(λ) with an accompanying phase characteristic φn(λ). In a case study, the cryptophyte photosynthetic antenna complex PC612 which contains eight bilin chromophores was excited by a broadband optical pulse. Difference absorption spectra from 525 to 715 nm were measured until 1 ns. The population dynamics is described by four lifetimes, with interchromophore equilibration in 0.8 and 7.5 ps. We have resolved 24 DOAS with frequencies between 130 and 1649 cm-1 and with damping rates between 0.9 and 12 ps-1. In addition, 11 more DOAS with faster damping rates were necessary to describe the "coherent artefact." The DOAS contains both ground and excited state features. Their interpretation is aided by DOAS analysis of simulated transient absorption signals resulting from stimulated emission and ground state bleach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo H M van Stokkum
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chanelle C Jumper
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Joris J Snellenburg
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gregory D Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Rienk van Grondelle
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pavel Malý
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Aghtar M, Kleinekathöfer U, Curutchet C, Mennucci B. Impact of Electronic Fluctuations and Their Description on the Exciton Dynamics in the Light-Harvesting Complex PE545. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:1330-1339. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b10772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mortaza Aghtar
- Department
of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kleinekathöfer
- Department
of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Carles Curutchet
- Departament
de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Fisicoquímica
and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi
13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
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Chandrasekaran S, Pothula KR, Kleinekathöfer U. Protein Arrangement Effects on the Exciton Dynamics in the PE555 Complex. J Phys Chem B 2016; 121:3228-3236. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b05803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karunakar Reddy Pothula
- Department of Physics and
Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kleinekathöfer
- Department of Physics and
Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
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21
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Smyth C, Oblinsky DG, Scholes GD. B800-B850 coherence correlates with energy transfer rates in the LH2 complex of photosynthetic purple bacteria. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 17:30805-16. [PMID: 25797525 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp00295h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Until recently, no analytical measure of many-body delocalization in open systems had been developed, yet such a measure enables characterization of how molecular excitons delocalize in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, and in turn helps us understand quantum coherent aspects of electronic energy transfer. In this paper we apply these measures to a model peripheral light-harvesting complex, LH2 from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. We find how many chromophores collectively contribute to the "delocalization length" of an excitation within LH2 and how the coherent delocalization is distributed spatially. We also investigate to what extent this delocalization length is effective, by examining the impact of bipartite and multipartite entanglement in inter-ring energy transfer in LH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathal Smyth
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniel G Oblinsky
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Gregory D Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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22
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Far-red light photoacclimation: Chromophorylation of FR induced α- and β-subunits of allophycocyanin from Chroococcidiopsis thermalis sp. PCC7203. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2016; 1857:1607-1616. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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23
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Dinh TC, Renger T. Lineshape theory of pigment-protein complexes: How the finite relaxation time of nuclei influences the exciton relaxation-induced lifetime broadening. J Chem Phys 2016; 145:034105. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4958322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thanh-Chung Dinh
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Str. 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Thomas Renger
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Str. 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
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24
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Possible role of interference, protein noise, and sink effects in nonphotochemical quenching in photosynthetic complexes. J Math Biol 2016; 74:43-76. [DOI: 10.1007/s00285-016-1016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Abstract
The design of optimal light-harvesting (supra)molecular systems and materials is one of the most challenging frontiers of science. Theoretical methods and computational models play a fundamental role in this difficult task, as they allow the establishment of structural blueprints inspired by natural photosynthetic organisms that can be applied to the design of novel artificial light-harvesting devices. Among theoretical strategies, the application of quantum chemical tools represents an important reality that has already reached an evident degree of maturity, although it still has to show its real potentials. This Review presents an overview of the state of the art of this strategy, showing the actual fields of applicability but also indicating its current limitations, which need to be solved in future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Curutchet
- Departament de Fisicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona , Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa , via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Levi F, Mostarda S, Rao F, Mintert F. Quantum mechanics of excitation transport in photosynthetic complexes: a key issues review. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2015; 78:082001. [PMID: 26194028 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/78/8/082001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
For a long time microscopic physical descriptions of biological processes have been based on quantum mechanical concepts and tools, and routinely employed by chemical physicists and quantum chemists. However, the last ten years have witnessed new developments on these studies from a different perspective, rooted in the framework of quantum information theory. The process that more, than others, has been subject of intense research is the transfer of excitation energy in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, a consequence of the unexpected experimental discovery of oscillating signals in such highly noisy systems. The fundamental interdisciplinary nature of this research makes it extremely fascinating, but can also constitute an obstacle to its advance. Here in this review our objective is to provide an essential summary of the progress made in the theoretical description of excitation energy dynamics in photosynthetic systems from a quantum mechanical perspective, with the goal of unifying the language employed by the different communities. This is initially realized through a stepwise presentation of the fundamental building blocks used to model excitation transfer, including protein dynamics and the theory of open quantum system. Afterwards, we shall review how these models have evolved as a consequence of experimental discoveries; this will lead us to present the numerical techniques that have been introduced to quantitatively describe photo-absorbed energy dynamics. Finally, we shall discuss which mechanisms have been proposed to explain the unusual coherent nature of excitation transport and what insights have been gathered so far on the potential functional role of such quantum features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Levi
- FRIAS, Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, Albert-Ludgwigs Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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27
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Gelzinis A, Abramavicius D, Valkunas L. Absorption lineshapes of molecular aggregates revisited. J Chem Phys 2015; 142:154107. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4918343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrius Gelzinis
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 9-III, 10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Gostauto 9, 01108 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Darius Abramavicius
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 9-III, 10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Leonas Valkunas
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 9-III, 10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Gostauto 9, 01108 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Zhang Z, Wang J. Assistance of Molecular Vibrations on Coherent Energy Transfer in Photosynthesis from the View of a Quantum Heat Engine. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:4662-7. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b01569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Wang
- State Key Laboratory
of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People’s Republic of China
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29
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30
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Ren Y, Melhem O, Li Y, Chi B, Han X, Zhu H, Feng L, Wan J, Xu X. Clarifying and illustrating the electronic energy transfer pathways in trimeric and hexameric aggregation state of cyanobacteria allophycocyanin within the framework of Förster theory. J Comput Chem 2014; 36:137-45. [DOI: 10.1002/jcc.23770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yanliang Ren
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Osama Melhem
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Yongjian Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Chi
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Xinya Han
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Lingling Feng
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Wan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry; Central China Normal University; Wuhan 430079 People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials; Ministry of Education (MOE) Laboratory for Computational Physical Science, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University; Shanghai 200433 People's Republic of China
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31
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Leng X, Liang XT. Simulation of two-dimensional electronic spectra of phycoerythrin 545 at ambient temperature. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:12366-70. [PMID: 25299464 DOI: 10.1021/jp506974r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
By using a hierarchical equations-of-motion approach, we reproduce the two-dimensional electronic spectra of phycoerythrin 545 from Rhodomonas CS24 at ambient temperature (294 K). The simulated spectra are in agreement with the experimental results reported in Wong et al. (Nat. Chem. 2012, 4, 396). The evolutions of cross peaks for rephasing spectra and diagonal peaks for nonrephasing spectra have also been plotted. The peaks oscillate with the population times, with frequencies, phases, and amplitudes of the oscillating curves also being qualitatively consistent with the experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Leng
- Department of Physics and Institute of Optics, Ningbo University , Ningbo 315211, China
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Aghtar M, Strümpfer J, Olbrich C, Schulten K, Kleinekathöfer U. Different Types of Vibrations Interacting with Electronic Excitations in Phycoerythrin 545 and Fenna-Matthews-Olson Antenna Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2014; 5:3131-3137. [PMID: 26276324 DOI: 10.1021/jz501351p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The interest in the phycoerythrin 545 (PE545) photosynthetic antenna system of marine algae and the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex of green sulfur bacteria has drastically increased since long-lived quantum coherences were reported for these complexes. For the PE545 complex, this phenomenon is clearly visible even at ambient temperatures, while for the FMO system it is more prominent at lower temperatures. The key to elucidate the role of the environment in these long-lived quantum effects is the spectral density. Here, we employ molecular dynamics simulations combined with quantum chemistry calculations to study the coupling between the biological environment and the vertical excitation energies of the bilin pigment molecules in PE545 and compare them to prior calculations on the FMO complex. It is found that the overall strength of the resulting spectral densities for the PE545 system is similar to the experiment-based counterpart but also to those in the FMO complex. Molecular analysis, however, reveals that the origin for the spectral densities in the low frequency range, which is most important for excitonic transitions, is entirely different. In the case of FMO, this part of the spectral density is due to environmental fluctuations, while, in case of PE545, it is essentially only due to internal modes of the bilin molecules. This finding sheds new light on possible explanations of the long-lived quantum coherences and that the reasons might actually be different in dissimilar systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mortaza Aghtar
- †School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Carsten Olbrich
- †School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Ulrich Kleinekathöfer
- †School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
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Single-residue insertion switches the quaternary structure and exciton states of cryptophyte light-harvesting proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E2666-75. [PMID: 24979784 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1402538111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Observation of coherent oscillations in the 2D electronic spectra (2D ES) of photosynthetic proteins has led researchers to ask whether nontrivial quantum phenomena are biologically significant. Coherent oscillations have been reported for the soluble light-harvesting phycobiliprotein (PBP) antenna isolated from cryptophyte algae. To probe the link between spectral properties and protein structure, we determined crystal structures of three PBP light-harvesting complexes isolated from different species. Each PBP is a dimer of αβ subunits in which the structure of the αβ monomer is conserved. However, we discovered two dramatically distinct quaternary conformations, one of which is specific to the genus Hemiselmis. Because of steric effects emerging from the insertion of a single amino acid, the two αβ monomers are rotated by ∼73° to an "open" configuration in contrast to the "closed" configuration of other cryptophyte PBPs. This structural change is significant for the light-harvesting function because it disrupts the strong excitonic coupling between two central chromophores in the closed form. The 2D ES show marked cross-peak oscillations assigned to electronic and vibrational coherences in the closed-form PC645. However, such features appear to be reduced, or perhaps absent, in the open structures. Thus cryptophytes have evolved a structural switch controlled by an amino acid insertion to modulate excitonic interactions and therefore the mechanisms used for light harvesting.
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Jumper CC, Anna JM, Stradomska A, Schins J, Myahkostupov M, Prusakova V, Oblinsky DG, Castellano FN, Knoester J, Scholes GD. Intramolecular radiationless transitions dominate exciton relaxation dynamics. Chem Phys Lett 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Fassioli F, Dinshaw R, Arpin PC, Scholes GD. Photosynthetic light harvesting: excitons and coherence. J R Soc Interface 2014; 11:20130901. [PMID: 24352671 PMCID: PMC3899860 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2013.0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthesis begins with light harvesting, where specialized pigment-protein complexes transform sunlight into electronic excitations delivered to reaction centres to initiate charge separation. There is evidence that quantum coherence between electronic excited states plays a role in energy transfer. In this review, we discuss how quantum coherence manifests in photosynthetic light harvesting and its implications. We begin by examining the concept of an exciton, an excited electronic state delocalized over several spatially separated molecules, which is the most widely available signature of quantum coherence in light harvesting. We then discuss recent results concerning the possibility that quantum coherence between electronically excited states of donors and acceptors may give rise to a quantum coherent evolution of excitations, modifying the traditional incoherent picture of energy transfer. Key to this (partially) coherent energy transfer appears to be the structure of the environment, in particular the participation of non-equilibrium vibrational modes. We discuss the open questions and controversies regarding quantum coherent energy transfer and how these can be addressed using new experimental techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gregory D. Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George St., Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 3H6
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36
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O’Reilly EJ, Olaya-Castro A. Non-classicality of the molecular vibrations assisting exciton energy transfer at room temperature. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3012. [PMID: 24402469 PMCID: PMC3896760 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Advancing the debate on quantum effects in light-initiated reactions in biology requires clear identification of non-classical features that these processes can exhibit and utilize. Here we show that in prototype dimers present in a variety of photosynthetic antennae, efficient vibration-assisted energy transfer in the sub-picosecond timescale and at room temperature can manifest and benefit from non-classical fluctuations of collective pigment motions. Non-classicality of initially thermalized vibrations is induced via coherent exciton-vibration interactions and is unambiguously indicated by negativities in the phase-space quasi-probability distribution of the effective collective mode coupled to the electronic dynamics. These quantum effects can be prompted upon incoherent input of excitation. Our results therefore suggest that investigation of the non-classical properties of vibrational motions assisting excitation and charge transport, photoreception and chemical sensing processes could be a touchstone for revealing a role for non-trivial quantum phenomena in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J. O’Reilly
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Alexandra Olaya-Castro
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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37
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Viani L, Corbella M, Curutchet C, O'Reilly EJ, Olaya-Castro A, Mennucci B. Molecular basis of the exciton–phonon interactions in the PE545 light-harvesting complex. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:16302-11. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp01477d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
A fully polarizable QM/MM approach is used in combination with classical MD simulations to predict the pigment-dependent spectral densities of the PE545 antenna complex and account for their effects on the exciton dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Viani
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Università di Pisa
- 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marina Corbella
- Departament de Fisicoquímica
- Facultat de Farmàcia
- Universitat de Barcelona
- 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Curutchet
- Departament de Fisicoquímica
- Facultat de Farmàcia
- Universitat de Barcelona
- 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Edward J. O'Reilly
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
- University College London
- London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Università di Pisa
- 56126 Pisa, Italy
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38
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Kolli A, O'Reilly EJ, Scholes GD, Olaya-Castro A. The fundamental role of quantized vibrations in coherent light harvesting by cryptophyte algae. J Chem Phys 2013; 137:174109. [PMID: 23145719 DOI: 10.1063/1.4764100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The influence of fast vibrations on energy transfer and conversion in natural molecular aggregates is an issue of central interest. This article shows the important role of high-energy quantized vibrations and their non-equilibrium dynamics for energy transfer in photosynthetic systems with highly localized excitonic states. We consider the cryptophyte antennae protein phycoerythrin 545 and show that coupling to quantized vibrations, which are quasi-resonant with excitonic transitions is fundamental for biological function as it generates non-cascaded transport with rapid and wider spatial distribution of excitation energy. Our work also indicates that the non-equilibrium dynamics of such vibrations can manifest itself in ultrafast beating of both excitonic populations and coherences at room temperature, with time scales in agreement with those reported in experiments. Moreover, we show that mechanisms supporting coherent excitonic dynamics assist coupling to selected modes that channel energy to preferential sites in the complex. We therefore argue that, in the presence of strong coupling between electronic excitations and quantized vibrations, a concrete and important advantage of quantum coherent dynamics is precisely to tune resonances that promote fast and effective energy distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash Kolli
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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39
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Viani L, Curutchet C, Mennucci B. Spatial and Electronic Correlations in the PE545 Light-Harvesting Complex. J Phys Chem Lett 2013; 4:372-377. [PMID: 26281726 DOI: 10.1021/jz301987u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery of long-lasting quantum coherence effects in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes has challenged our view of the role that protein motions play in light-harvesting processes. Several groups have suggested that correlated fluctuations involving the pigments site energies and couplings could be at the origin of such unexpected behavior. Here we combine molecular dynamics simulations with quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations to analyze the degree of correlated fluctuations in the PE545 complex of Rhodomonas sp. strain CS24. We find that correlations between the motions of the chromophores, which are significantly assisted by the water solvent, do not translate into appreciable site energy correlations but do lead to significant cross-correlations of energies and couplings. Such behavior, not observed in a recent study on the Fenna-Mathews-Olson complex, seems to provide phycobiliproteins with an additional fundamental mechanism to control quantum coherence and light-harvesting efficiency compared with chlorophyll-containing complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Viani
- †Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Carles Curutchet
- ‡Departament de Fisicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- †Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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40
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Ren Y, Chi B, Melhem O, Wei K, Feng L, Li Y, Han X, Li D, Zhang Y, Wan J, Xu X, Yang M. Understanding the electronic energy transfer pathways in the trimeric and hexameric aggregation state of cyanobacteria phycocyanin within the framework of Förster theory. J Comput Chem 2013; 34:1005-12. [DOI: 10.1002/jcc.23221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Revised: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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41
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Fassioli F, Olaya-Castro A, Scholes GD. Coherent Energy Transfer under Incoherent Light Conditions. J Phys Chem Lett 2012; 3:3136-3142. [PMID: 26296019 DOI: 10.1021/jz3010317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) experiments have reported evidence of coherent dynamics of electronic excitations in several light-harvesting antennae. However, 2DES uses ultrafast coherent laser pulses as an excitation source; therefore, there is a current debate on whether coherent excitation dynamics is present under natural sunlight - incoherent - illumination conditions. In this letter, we show that even if incoherent light excites an electronic state with no initial quantum superpositions among excitonic states, energy transfer can proceed quantum coherently if nonequilibrium dynamics of the phonon environment takes place. Such nonequilibrium behavior manifests itself in non-Markovian evolution of electronic excitations and is typical of many photosynthetic systems. We therefore argue that light-harvesting antennae have mechanisms that could support coherent evolution under incoherent illumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fassioli
- †Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories, Institute for Optical Sciences and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, 80 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Alexandra Olaya-Castro
- ‡Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory D Scholes
- †Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories, Institute for Optical Sciences and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, 80 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6, Canada
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42
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Curutchet C, Novoderezhkin VI, Kongsted J, Muñoz-Losa A, van Grondelle R, Scholes GD, Mennucci B. Energy Flow in the Cryptophyte PE545 Antenna Is Directed by Bilin Pigment Conformation. J Phys Chem B 2012; 117:4263-73. [DOI: 10.1021/jp305033d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carles Curutchet
- Departament de Fisicoquímica,
Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jacob Kongsted
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry
and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Aurora Muñoz-Losa
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica
Industriale, Università di Pisa,
via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Rienk van Grondelle
- Department of Physics and Astronomy,
Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gregory D. Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, 80 St. George
Street, Institute for Optical Sciences, and Centre for Quantum Information
and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica
Industriale, Università di Pisa,
via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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43
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Wong CY, Alvey RM, Turner DB, Wilk KE, Bryant DA, Curmi PMG, Silbey RJ, Scholes GD. Electronic coherence lineshapes reveal hidden excitonic correlations in photosynthetic light harvesting. Nat Chem 2012; 4:396-404. [DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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44
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Turner DB, Dinshaw R, Lee KK, Belsley MS, Wilk KE, Curmi PMG, Scholes GD. Quantitative investigations of quantum coherence for a light-harvesting protein at conditions simulating photosynthesis. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2012; 14:4857-74. [PMID: 22374579 DOI: 10.1039/c2cp23670b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent measurements using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2D ES) have shown that the initial dynamic response of photosynthetic proteins can involve quantum coherence. We show how electronic coherence can be differentiated from vibrational coherence in 2D ES. On that basis we conclude that both electronic and vibrational coherences are observed in the phycobiliprotein light-harvesting complex PC645 from Chroomonas sp. CCMP270 at ambient temperature. These light-harvesting antenna proteins of the cryptophyte algae are suspended in the lumen, where the pH drops significantly under sustained illumination by sunlight. Here we measured 2D ES of PC645 at increasing levels of acidity to determine if the change in pH affects the quantum coherence; quantitative analysis reveals that the dynamics are insensitive to the pH change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Turner
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Optical Sciences, and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6, Canada
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45
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Hossein-Nejad H, Olaya-Castro A, Scholes GD. Phonon-mediated path-interference in electronic energy transfer. J Chem Phys 2012; 136:024112. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3675844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
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46
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Marin A, Doust AB, Scholes GD, Wilk KE, Curmi PMG, van Stokkum IHM, van Grondelle R. Flow of excitation energy in the cryptophyte light-harvesting antenna phycocyanin 645. Biophys J 2011; 101:1004-13. [PMID: 21843493 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2011] [Revised: 07/12/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a detailed description of the energy migration dynamics in the phycocyanin 645 (PC645) antenna complex from the photosynthetic alga Chroomonas CCMP270. Many of the cryptophyceae are known to populate greater depths than most other algal families, having developed a 99.5% efficient light-harvesting system. In this study, we used femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy and global analysis to characterize the excited-state dynamics of PC645. Several different pump colors were selected to excite different fractions of the four phycobiliprotein pairs present in the complex. Measurements were also performed at cryogenic temperature to enhance spectral resolution and selectively promote downhill energy transfers. Upon excitation of the highest-energy bilins (dihydrobiliverdins), energy is transferred from the core of the complex to the periphery within 0.82 ps. Four bilins (mesobiliverdin (MBV) A/B and phycocyanobilins (PCB) 158C/D), which are responsible for the central band of the absorption spectrum, show concerted spectral dynamics. These chromophores show a biphasic decay with lifetimes of 0.6 ps (MBV) and 5-7 ps (PCB 158) to the lowest bilin pair (PCB 82C/D) absorbing around 650-657 nm. Within this lifetime of several picoseconds, the excitations reach the PCB 82 bilins on the two poles at the smaller sides of PC645. A slow 44-46 ps energy transfer step to the lowest-energy PCB 82 bilin concludes the dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Marin
- Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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47
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König C, Neugebauer J. Quantum chemical description of absorption properties and excited-state processes in photosynthetic systems. Chemphyschem 2011; 13:386-425. [PMID: 22287108 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201100408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The theoretical description of the initial steps in photosynthesis has gained increasing importance over the past few years. This is caused by more and more structural data becoming available for light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers which form the basis for atomistic calculations and by the progress made in the development of first-principles methods for excited electronic states of large molecules. In this Review, we discuss the advantages and pitfalls of theoretical methods applicable to photosynthetic pigments. Besides methodological aspects of excited-state electronic-structure methods, studies on chlorophyll-type and carotenoid-like molecules are discussed. We also address the concepts of exciton coupling and excitation-energy transfer (EET) and compare the different theoretical methods for the calculation of EET coupling constants. Applications to photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers based on such models are also analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin König
- Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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48
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Spectroscopic parameters of phycoerythrobilin and phycourobilin on phycoerythrin from Gracilaria chilensis. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2011.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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49
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Curutchet C, Kongsted J, Muñoz-Losa A, Hossein-Nejad H, Scholes GD, Mennucci B. Photosynthetic light-harvesting is tuned by the heterogeneous polarizable environment of the protein. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:3078-84. [PMID: 21322565 DOI: 10.1021/ja110053y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In photosynthesis, special antenna proteins that contain multiple light-absorbing molecules (chromophores) are able to capture sunlight and transfer the excitation energy to reaction centers with almost 100% quantum efficiencies. The critical role of the protein scaffold in holding the appropriate arrangement of the chromophores is well established and can be intuitively understood given the need to keep optimal dipole-dipole interactions between the energy-transferring chromophores, as described by Förster theory more than 60 years ago. However, the question whether the protein structure can also play an active role by tuning such dipole-dipole interactions has not been answered so far, its effect being rather crudely described by simple screening factors related to the refractive index properties of the system. Here, we present a combined quantum chemical/molecular mechanical approach to compute electronic couplings that accounts for the heterogeneous dielectric nature of the protein-solvent environment in atomic detail. We apply the method to study the effect of dielectric heterogeneity in the energy migration properties of the PE545 principal light-harvesting antenna of the cryptomonad Rhodomonas CS24. We find that dielectric heterogeneity can profoundly tune by a factor up to ∼4 the energy migration rates between chromophore sites compared to the average continuum dielectric view that has historically been assumed. Our results indicate that engineering of the local dielectric environment can potentially be used to optimize artificial light-harvesting antenna systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Curutchet
- Institut de Química Computacional and Departament de Química, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi 17071 Girona, Spain.
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50
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Hossein-Nejad H, Curutchet C, Kubica A, Scholes GD. Delocalization-Enhanced Long-Range Energy Transfer between Cryptophyte Algae PE545 Antenna Proteins. J Phys Chem B 2011; 115:5243-53. [DOI: 10.1021/jp108397a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hoda Hossein-Nejad
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 Canada
| | - Carles Curutchet
- Institut de Química Computacional and Department de Química, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain
| | - Aleksander Kubica
- Lash-Miller Chemical Laboratories, Institute for Optical Sciences and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Gregory D. Scholes
- Lash-Miller Chemical Laboratories, Institute for Optical Sciences and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6 Canada
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