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Dai J, Wilhelm KB, Bischoff AJ, Pereira JH, Dedeo MT, García-Almedina DM, Adams PD, Groves JT, Francis MB. A Membrane-Associated Light-Harvesting Model is Enabled by Functionalized Assemblies of Gene-Doubled TMV Proteins. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207805. [PMID: 36811150 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic light harvesting requires efficient energy transfer within dynamic networks of light-harvesting complexes embedded within phospholipid membranes. Artificial light-harvesting models are valuable tools for understanding the structural features underpinning energy absorption and transfer within chromophore arrays. Here, a method for attaching a protein-based light-harvesting model to a planar, fluid supported lipid bilayer (SLB) is developed. The protein model consists of the tobacco mosaic viral capsid proteins that are gene-doubled to create a tandem dimer (dTMV). Assemblies of dTMV break the facial symmetry of the double disk to allow for differentiation between the disk faces. A single reactive lysine residue is incorporated into the dTMV assemblies for the site-selective attachment of chromophores for light absorption. On the opposing dTMV face, a cysteine residue is incorporated for the bioconjugation of a peptide containing a polyhistidine tag for association with SLBs. The dual-modified dTMV complexes show significant association with SLBs and exhibit mobility on the bilayer. The techniques used herein offer a new method for protein-surface attachment and provide a platform for evaluating excited state energy transfer events in a dynamic, fully synthetic artificial light-harvesting system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Dai
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kiera B Wilhelm
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Amanda J Bischoff
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jose H Pereira
- Technology Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94720, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Michel T Dedeo
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | | | - Paul D Adams
- Technology Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94720, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jay T Groves
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Matthew B Francis
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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2
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Fujihashi Y, Ishizaki A. Achieving two-dimensional optical spectroscopy with temporal and spectral resolution using quantum entangled three photons. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:044101. [PMID: 34340393 DOI: 10.1063/5.0056808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in techniques for generating quantum light have stimulated research on novel spectroscopic measurements using quantum entangled photons. One such spectroscopy technique utilizes non-classical correlations among entangled photons to enable measurements with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Here, we investigate the spectroscopic measurement utilizing entangled three photons. In this measurement, time-resolved entangled photon spectroscopy with monochromatic pumping [A. Ishizaki, J. Chem. Phys. 153, 051102 (2020)] is integrated with the frequency-dispersed two-photon counting technique, which suppresses undesired accidental photon counts in the detector and thus allows one to separate the weak desired signal. This time-resolved frequency-dispersed two-photon counting signal, which is a function of two frequencies, is shown to provide the same information as that of coherent two-dimensional optical spectra. The spectral distribution of the phase-matching function works as a frequency filter to selectively resolve a specific region of the two-dimensional spectra, whereas the excited-state dynamics under investigation are temporally resolved in the time region longer than the entanglement time. The signal is not subject to Fourier limitations on the joint temporal and spectral resolution, and therefore, it is expected to be useful for investigating complex molecular systems in which multiple electronic states are present within a narrow energy range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Fujihashi
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Akihito Ishizaki
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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Ishizaki A, Fleming GR. Insights into Photosynthetic Energy Transfer Gained from Free-Energy Structure: Coherent Transport, Incoherent Hopping, and Vibrational Assistance Revisited. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:3286-3295. [PMID: 33724833 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Giant strides in ultrashort laser pulse technology have enabled real-time observation of dynamical processes in complex molecular systems. Specifically, the discovery of oscillatory transients in the two-dimensional electronic spectra of photosynthetic systems stimulated a number of theoretical investigations exploring the possible physical mechanisms of the remarkable quantum efficiency of light harvesting processes. In this work, we revisit the elementary aspects of environment-induced fluctuations in the involved electronic energies and present a simple way to understand energy flow with the intuitive picture of relaxation in a funnel-type free-energy landscape. The presented free-energy description of energy transfer reveals that typical photosynthetic systems operate in an almost barrierless regime. The approach also provides insights into the distinction between coherent and incoherent energy transfer and the criteria by which the necessity of the vibrational assistance is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihito Ishizaki
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.,School of Physical Sciences, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Graham R Fleming
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Dutta R, Bagchi B. Quantum Coherence and Its Signatures in Extended Quantum Systems. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:4551-4563. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c02190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Dutta
- SSCU, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Biman Bagchi
- SSCU, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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Karafyllidis IG. Quantum transport in the FMO photosynthetic light-harvesting complex. J Biol Phys 2017; 43:239-245. [PMID: 28378262 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-017-9449-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The very high light-harvesting efficiency of natural photosynthetic systems in conjunction with recent experiments, which showed quantum-coherent energy transfer in photosynthetic complexes, raised questions regarding the presence of non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthesis. Grover quantum search, quantum walks, and entanglement have been investigated as possible effects that lead to this efficiency. Here we explain the near-unit photosynthetic efficiency without invoking non-trivial quantum effects. Instead, we use non-equilibrium Green's functions, a mesoscopic method used to study transport in nano-conductors to compute the transmission function of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex using an experimentally derived exciton Hamiltonian. The chlorosome antenna and the reaction center play the role of input and output contacts, connected to the FMO complex. We show that there are two channels for which the transmission is almost unity. Our analysis also revealed a dephasing-driven regulation mechanism that maintains the efficiency in the presence of varying dephasing potentials.
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Kurian P, Dunston G, Lindesay J. How quantum entanglement in DNA synchronizes double-strand breakage by type II restriction endonucleases. J Theor Biol 2016; 391:102-12. [PMID: 26682627 PMCID: PMC4746125 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Macroscopic quantum effects in living systems have been studied widely in pursuit of fundamental explanations for biological energy transport and sensing. While it is known that type II endonucleases, the largest class of restriction enzymes, induce DNA double-strand breaks by attacking phosphodiester bonds, the mechanism by which simultaneous cutting is coordinated between the catalytic centers remains unclear. We propose a quantum mechanical model for collective electronic behavior in the DNA helix, where dipole-dipole oscillations are quantized through boundary conditions imposed by the enzyme. Zero-point modes of coherent oscillations would provide the energy required for double-strand breakage. Such quanta may be preserved in the presence of thermal noise by the enzyme's displacement of water surrounding the DNA recognition sequence. The enzyme thus serves as a decoherence shield. Palindromic mirror symmetry of the enzyme-DNA complex should conserve parity, because symmetric bond-breaking ceases when the symmetry of the complex is violated or when physiological parameters are perturbed from optima. Persistent correlations in DNA across longer spatial separations-a possible signature of quantum entanglement-may be explained by such a mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Kurian
- National Human Genome Center, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA; Computational Physics Laboratory, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
| | - G Dunston
- National Human Genome Center, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA; Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - J Lindesay
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA; Computational Physics Laboratory, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
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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: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [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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8
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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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Zhu J, Kais S, Aspuru-Guzik A, Rodriques S, Brock B, Love PJ. Multipartite quantum entanglement evolution in photosynthetic complexes. J Chem Phys 2012; 137:074112. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4742333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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10
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Tiersch M, Popescu S, Briegel HJ. A critical view on transport and entanglement in models of photosynthesis. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2012; 370:3771-86. [PMID: 22753825 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2011.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We revisit critically the recent claims, inspired by quantum optics and quantum information, that there is entanglement in the biological pigment-protein complexes, and that it is responsible for the high transport efficiency. While unexpectedly long coherence times were experimentally demonstrated, the existence of entanglement is, at the moment, a purely theoretical conjecture; it is this conjecture that we analyse. As demonstrated by a toy model, a similar transport phenomenology can be obtained without generating entanglement. Furthermore, we also argue that, even if entanglement does exist, it is purely incidental and seems to play no essential role for the transport efficiency. We emphasize that our paper is not a proof that entanglement does not exist in light-harvesting complexes-this would require a knowledge of the system and its parameters well beyond the state of the art. Rather, we present a counter-example to the recent claims of entanglement, showing that the arguments, as they stand at the moment, are not sufficiently justified and hence cannot be taken as a proof for the existence of entanglement, let alone of its essential role, in the excitation transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Tiersch
- Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Technikerstrasse 21A, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Olaya-Castro A, Nazir A, Fleming GR. Quantum-coherent energy transfer: implications for biology and new energy technologies. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2012; 370:3613-7. [PMID: 22753815 PMCID: PMC3385675 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2012.0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Olaya-Castro
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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