Isolation and characterization of the chlorophyll a/b protein complex CP29 from spinach

Tuning antenna function through hydrogen bonds to chlorophyll a

We describe a molecular mechanism tuning the functional properties of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) molecules in photosynthetic antenna proteins. Light-harvesting complexes from photosystem II in higher plants - specifically LHCII purified with α- or β-dodecyl-maltoside, along with CP29 - were probed by low-temperature absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies. We show that hydrogen bonding to the conjugated keto carbonyl group of protein-bound Chl-a tunes the energy of its Soret and Q_y absorption transitions, inducing red-shifts that are proportional to the strength of the hydrogen bond involved. Chls-a with non-H-bonded keto C13¹ groups exhibit the blue-most absorption bands, while both transitions are progressively red-shifted with increasing hydrogen-bonding strength - by up 382 & 605 cm^-1 in the Q_y and Soret band, respectively. These hydrogen bonds thus tune the site energy of Chl-a in light-harvesting proteins, determining (at least in part) the cascade of energy transfer events in these complexes.

Towards in vivo mutation analysis: knock-out of specific chlorophylls bound to the light-harvesting complexes of Arabidopsis thaliana - the case of CP24 (Lhcb6)

In the last ten years, a large series of studies have targeted antenna complexes of plants (Lhc) with the aim of understanding the mechanisms of light harvesting and photoprotection. Combining spectroscopy, modeling and mutation analyses, the role of individual pigments in these processes has been highlighted in vitro. In plants, however, these proteins are associated with multiple complexes of the photosystems and function within this framework. In this work, we have envisaged a way to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies by knocking out in vivo pigments that have been proposed to play an important role in excitation energy transfer between the complexes or in photoprotection. We have complemented a CP24 knock-out mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana with the CP24 (Lhcb6) gene carrying a His-tag and with a mutated version lacking the ligand for chlorophyll 612, a specific pigment that in vitro experiments have indicated as the lowest energy site of the complex. Both complexes efficiently integrated into the thylakoid membrane and assembled into the PSII supercomplexes, indicating that the His-tag does not impair the organization in vivo. The presence of the His-tag allowed the purification of CP24-WT and of CP24-612 mutant in their native states. It is shown that CP24-WT coordinates 10 chlorophylls and 2 carotenoid molecules and has properties identical to those of the reconstituted complex, demonstrating that the complex self-assembled in vitro assumes the same folding as in the plant. The absence of the ligand for chlorophyll 612 leads to the loss of one Chl a and of lutein, again as in vitro, indicating the feasibility of the method. This article is part of a special issue entitled: photosynthesis research for sustainability: keys to produce clean energy.

Changes in antenna of photosystem II induced by short-term heating

Changes in antenna of photosystem II, induced by short-term heating, were studied using characteristics of a short-wavelength band in low-temperature fluorescence spectra (77 K) of pea chloroplasts. Heating for 5 min was carried out at 25 and 45°C in the darkness or in the presence of white light with intensity of 260 or 1,400 μmol/m(2)s. Most modes of thermal treating induced a decrease in integral intensity of the band and an increase of its half-width. The changes were more prominent at high-temperature heating. The second derivative of the contour of a short-wavelength band showed its three components around 680, 685, and 693 nm, the first of which belongs to emission of the outer antenna of Photosystem II, and the other two to its inner antenna. As the fourth derivative shows, high-temperature heating in the presence of light evokes an appearance of some additional components in a short-wavelength region (654, 658, 661, 666, 672, and 675 nm) as well as of two additional components, 682 and 689 nm, in the region of 685-nm peak. Two subcomponents, 692 and 694 nm, can be detected in the 693-nm component. The results are discussed on the basis of the data concerning energy levels and pathways of energy transfer in pigment-protein complexes of the outer and the inner antennas of photosystem II. It is assumed that a protective role of low light relates to inducing of an essential disarrangement in the outer and the inner antennas and of a subsequent decrease in energy funneling to reaction centers, which, in turn, lowers the extent of photoinhibition.

Two-photon excited fluorescence from higher electronic states of chlorophylls in photosynthetic antenna complexes: a new approach to detect strong excitonic chlorophyll a/b coupling

Stepwise two-photon excitation of chlorophyll a and b in the higher plant main light-harvesting complex (LHC II) and the minor complex CP29 (as well as in organic solution) with 100-fs pulses in the Q(y) region results in a weak blue fluorescence. The dependence of the spectral shape of the blue fluorescence on excitation wavelength offers a new approach to elucidate the long-standing problem of the origin of spectral "chlorophyll forms" in pigment-protein complexes, in particular the characterization of chlorophyll a/b-heterodimers. As a first result we present evidence for the existence of strong chlorophyll a/b-interactions (excitonically coupled transitions at 650 and 680 nm) in LHC II at ambient temperature. In comparison with LHC II, the experiments with CP29 provide further evidence that the lowest energy chlorophyll a transition (at approximately 680 nm) is not excitonically coupled to chlorophyll b.

Heterogeneity of the main light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein complex of photosystem II (LHCII) at the level of trimeric subunits

To study organization of the main light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein complex of photosystem II (LHCII) from spinach thylakoid membranes at the level of trimeric subcomplexes, we have applied non-denaturing isoelectric focusing (ndIEF) in vertical, slab polyacrylamide gels. When analyzed by two consecutive ndIEF/electroelution runs, spinach BBY membrane preparations (PSII(alpha)-enriched, stacked thylakoid membranes) were resolved into nine fractions of 100% purity, labelled 1-9 in order of decreasing pI values. Seven of these fractions (3-9) were shown by absorption spectroscopy to stand for LHCII subcomplexes. The subcomplexes were established - by monitoring their circular dichroism spectra and comparing them to the spectra of native LHCII trimers and monomers - to be structurally intact trimers. The analysis of polypeptide composition of the subcomplexes in terms of apparent molecular masses and Lhcb genes' products led us to the conclusion that each of the subcomplexes might be a mixed population of closely similar individual trimers, comprising of permutations of Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 (subcomplexes 3-7) or Lhcb1, Lhcb2 and Lhcb3 (subcomplexes 8 and 9).

Pigment binding site properties of two photosystem II antenna proteins. A resonance raman investigation

Two light-harvesting proteins associated with photosystem II of higher plants, namely the major antenna complex LHCIIb and the minor Lhcb4 protein (CP29), have been investigated by resonance Raman spectroscopy. One of the two chlorophylls b and up to five of the six chlorophylls a present in Lhcb4 are shown to adopt similar binding conformations to the (presumably) corresponding molecules in LHCIIb, whereas at least two chlorophylls in the former protein assume unique conformations relative to the bulk complex. The overall conformation of bound xanthophyll molecules is identical in the two antenna proteins, although some small differences are apparent. The pigment binding properties of these two LHCs are discussed, with particular reference to possible structural motifs within this extended family of proteins.

Assignment of the lowest Qy-state and spectral dynamics of the CP29 chlorophyll a/b antenna complex of green plants: a hole-burning study

Low-temperature absorption, fluorescence and persistent non-photochemical hole-burned spectra are reported for the CP29 chlorophyll (Chl) a/b antenna complex of photosystem II of green plants. The absorption-origin band of the lowest Qy-state lies at 678.2 nm and carries a width of approximately 130 cm-1 that is dominated by inhomogeneous broadening at low temperatures. Its absorption intensity is equivalent to that of one of the six Chl a molecules of CP29. The absence of a significant satellite hole structure produced by hole burning, within the absorption band of the lowest state, indicates that the associated Chl a molecule is weakly coupled to the other Chl and, therefore, that the lowest-energy state is highly localized on a single Chl a molecule. The electron-phonon coupling of the 678.2 nm state is weak with a Huang-Rhys factor S of 0.5 and a peak phonon frequency (omega m) of approximately 20 cm-1. These values give a Stokes shift (2S omega m) in good agreement with the measured positions of the absorption band at 678.2 nm and a fluorescence-origin band at 679.1 nm. Zero-phonon holes associated with the lowest state have a width of approximately 0.05 cm-1 at 4.2 K, corresponding to a total effective dephasing time of approximately 400 ps. The temperature dependence of the zero-phonon holewidth indicates that this time constant is dominated at temperatures below 8 K by pure dephasing/spectral diffusion due to coupling of the optical transition to the glass-like two-level systems of the protein. Zero-phonon hole-widths obtained for the Chl b bands at 638.5 and 650.0 nm, at 4.2 K, lead to lower limits of 900 +/- 150 fs and 4.2 +/- 0.3 ps, respectively, for the Chl b-->Chl a energy-transfer times. Downward energy transfer from the Chl a state(s) at 665.0 nm occurs in 5.3 +/- 0.6 ps at 4.2 K.

Spectroscopic characterization of the spinach Lhcb4 protein (CP29), a minor light-harvesting complex of photosystem II

A spectroscopic characterization is presented of the minor photosystem II chlorophyll a/b-binding protein CP29 (or the Lhcb4 protein) from spinach, prepared by a modified form of a published protocol [Henrysson, T., Schroder, W. P., Spangfort, M. & Akerlund, H.-E. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 977, 301-308]. The isolation procedure represents a quicker, cheaper means of isolating this minor antenna protein to an equally high level of purity to that published previously. The pigment-binding protein shows similarities to other related light-harvesting complexes (LHCs), including the bulk complex LHCIIb but more particularly another minor antenna protein CP26 (Lhcb5). It is also, in the main, similar to other preparations of CP29, although some significant differences are discussed. In common with CP26, the protein binds about six chlorophyll a and two chlorophyll b molecules. Two chlorophyll b absorption bands are present at 638 and 650 nm and they are somewhat more pronounced than in a recent report [Giuffra, E., Zucchelli, G., Sandonà, D., Croce, R., Cugini, D., Garlaschi, F.M., Bassi, R. & Jennings, R.C. (1997) Biochem. 36, 12984-12993]. The bands give rise to positive and negative linear dichroism, respectively; both show negative CD bands (cf. bands with similar properties at 637 and 650 nm in CP26). Chlorophyll a absorption is dominated by a large contribution at 674 nm which also shows similarities to the major band in LHCIIb and CP26, while (as for CP26) a reduction in absorption around 670 nm is observed relative to the bulk complex. Principal differences from LHCIIb and CP26, and from other CP29 preparations, occur in the carotenoid region.

In vitro reconstitution of the recombinant photosystem II light-harvesting complex CP24 and its spectroscopic characterization

The light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein CP24, a minor subunit of the photosystem II antenna system, is a major violaxanthin-binding protein involved in the regulation of excited state concentration of chlorophyll a. This subunit is poorly characterized due to the difficulty in isolation and instability during purification procedures. We have used an alternative approach in order to gain information on the properties of this protein; the Lhcb6 cDNA has been overexpressed in bacteria in order to obtain the CP24 apoprotein, which was then reconstituted in vitro with xanthophylls, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b, yielding a pigment-protein complex with properties essentially identical to the native protein extracted from maize thylakoids. Although all carotenoids were supplied during refolding, the recombinant holoprotein exhibited high selectivity in xanthophyll binding by coordinating violaxanthin and lutein but not neoxanthin or beta-carotene. Each monomer bound a total of 10 chlorophyll a plus chlorophyll b and two xanthophyll molecules. Moreover, the protein could be refolded in the presence of different chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b ratios for yielding a family of recombinant proteins with different chlorophyll a/b ratios but still binding the same total number of porphyrins. A peculiar feature of CP24 was its refolding capability in the absence of lutein, contrary to the case of other homologous proteins, thus showing higher plasticity in xanthophyll binding. These characteristics of CP24 are discussed with respect to its role in binding zeaxanthin in high light stress conditions. The spectroscopic analysis of a recombinant CP24 complex binding eight chlorophyll b molecules and a single chlorophyll a molecule by Gaussian deconvolution allowed the identification of four subbands peaking at wavelengths of 638, 645, 653, and 659 nm, which have an increased amplitude with respect to the native complex and therefore identify the chlorophyll b absorption in the antenna protein environment. Gaussian subbands at wavelengths 666, 673, 679, and 686 nm are depleted in the high chlorophyll b complex, thus suggesting they derive from chlorophyll a.

Isolation and biochemical characterisation of monomeric and dimeric photosystem II complexes from spinach and their relevance to the organisation of photosystem II in vivo

Membranes enriched in photosystem II were isolated from spinach and further solubilised using n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (OctGlc) and n-dodecyl beta-D-maltoside (DodGlc2). The OctGlc preparation had high rates of oxygen evolution and when subjected to size-exclusion HPLC and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, in the presence of DodGlc2, separated into dimeric (430 kDa), monomeric (236 kDa) photosystem II cores and a fraction containing photosystem II light-harvesting complex (Lhcb) proteins. The dimeric core fraction was more stable, contained higher levels of chlorophyll, beta-carotene and plastoquinone per photosystem II reaction centre and had a higher oxygen-evolving activity than the monomeric cores. Their subunit composition was similar (CP43, CP47, D1, D2, cytochrome b 559 and several lower-molecular-mass components) except that the level of 33-kDa extrinsic protein was lower in the monomeric fraction. Direct solubilisation of photosystem-II-enriched membranes with DodGlc2, followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, yielded a super complex (700 kDa) containing the dimeric form of the photosystem II core and Lhcb proteins: Lhcb1, Lhcb2, Lhcb4 (CP29), and Lhcb5 (CP26). Like the dimeric and monomeric photosystem II core complexes, the photosystem II-LHCII complex had lost the 23-kDa and 17-kDa extrinsic proteins, but maintained the 33-kDa protein and the ability to evolve oxygen. It is suggested, with a proposed model, that the isolated photosystem II-LHCII super complex represents an in vivo organisation that can sometimes form a lattice in granal membranes of the type detected by freeze-etch electron microscopy [Seibert, M., DeWit, M. & Staehelin, L. A. (1987) J. Cell Biol. 105, 2257-2265].

THE CHLOROPHYLL-CAROTENOID PROTEINS OF OXYGENIC PHOTOSYNTHESIS

The chlorophyll-carotenoid binding proteins responsible for absorption and conversion of light energy in oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms belong to two extended families: the Chl a binding core complexes common to cyanobacteria and all chloroplasts, and the nuclear-encoded light-harvesting antenna complexes of eukaryotic photosynthesizers (Chl a/b, Chl a/c, and Chl a proteins). There is a general consensus on polypeptide and pigment composition for higher plant pigment proteins. These are reviewed and compared with pigment proteins of chlorophyte, rhodophyte, and chromophyte algae. Major advances have been the determination of the structures of LHCII (major Chl a/b complex of higher plants), cyanobacterial Photosystem I, and the peridinen-Chl a protein of dinoflagellates to atomic resolution. Better isolation methods, improved transformation procedures, and the availability of molecular structure models are starting to provide insights into the pathways of energy transfer and the macromolecular organization of thylakoid membranes.

Reconstitution and pigment-binding properties of recombinant CP29

The minor light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b-binding protein CP29 (Lhcb4), overexpressed in Escherichia coli, has been reconstituted in vitro with pigments. The recombinant pigment-protein complexes show biochemical and spectral properties identical to the native CP29 purified from maize thylakoids. The xanthophyll lutein is the only carotenoid necessary for reconstitution, a finding consistent with the structural role of two lutein molecules/polypeptide suggested by the crystallographic data for the homologous protein light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b-binding protein of photosystem II (LHCII). The CP29 protein scaffold can accommodate different chromophores. This conclusion was deduced by the observation that the pigment composition of the reconstituted protein depends on the pigments present in the reconstitution mixture. Thus, in addition to a recombinant CP29 identical to the native one, two additional forms of the complex could be obtained by increasing chlorophyll b content. This finding is typical of CP29 because the major LHCII complex shows an absolute selectivity for chromophore binding [Plumley, F. G. & Schmidt, G. W. (1987) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 84, 146-150; Paulsen, H., Rümler, U. & Rüdiger, W. (1990) Planta (Heidelb.) 181, 204-211], and it is consistent with the higher stability of CP29 during greening and in chlorophyll b mutants compared with LHCII.

The PSII-S protein of higher plants: a new type of pigment-binding protein

An intrinsic 22 kDa protein of photosystem II has been shown to possess high sequence homology with the CAB gene products, but differs from these proteins by an additional putative fourth transmembrane helix. This protein, designated PSII-S in accordance with the assignment of the name psbS to its gene, has been isolated by nonionic detergents and preparative isoelectric focusing in this study. The isolated PSII-S protein was shown to bind 5 chlorophyll molecules (a and b) per protein unit and also several different kinds of carotenoids. The room temperature absorption spectrum of the Qy transition of the chlorophylls bound to the isolated protein is characterized by a broad band with a maximum at 671 nm. The 77 K fluorescence spectrum exhibits a peak at 672 nm. A single photon counting technique was applied to resolve the room temperature decay kinetics of the first excited singlet states in the chlorophyll ensemble of the PSII-S protein. The data can be satisfactorily described by triexponential kinetics with lifetimes of tau 1 = 1.8 ns, tau 2 = 4.4 ns, and tau 3 = 6.1 ns and normalized amplitudes of 0.09, 0.60, and 0.31, respectively. Circular dichroism spectra suggest that, in contrast to LHCII, virtually no pigment coupling exists in the PSII-S protein. Two copies of the PSII-S protein were found per PSII in spinach thylakoids. It displays an unusually extreme lateral heterogeneity, since the PSII beta centers located in the stroma exposed thylakoid regions contained only residual amounts of the PSII-S protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Occurrence of the carotenoid lactucaxanthin in higher plant LHC II

The pigment composition of the light-harvesting complexes of Photosystem II (LHC II) has been determined for lettuce (Lactuca sativa). In common with other members of the composite, the photosynthetic tissues of this species may contain large amounts of the carotenoid lactucaxanthin (ε, ε-carotene-3,3'-diol) in addition to their normal compliment of carotenoids. The occurrence and distribution of lactucaxanthin in LHC II has been examined using isoelectric focusing of BBY particles followed by reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the pigments. The major carotenoids detected in LHC IIb, LHC IIa (CP29) and LHC IIc (CP26) purified from dark-adapted lettuce were lutein, violaxanthin, neoxanthin and lactucaxanthin. Lactucaxanthin has been shown to be a major component of PS II, accounting for ∼26% of total xanthophyll in both LHC IIb (∼23% total xanthophyll) and in the minor complexes (12-16%). In this study, LHC IIb was clearly resolved into four bands and their carotenoid composition determined. These four bands proved to be very similar in their pigment content and composition, although the relative amounts of neoxanthin and lutein in particular were found to increase from bands 1 to 4 (i.e. with increasing electrophoretic mobility). The operation of the xanthophyll cycle has also been examined in the LHC of L. sativa following light treatment. The conversion efficiency for violaxanthin→zeaxanthin was nearly identical for each light-harvesting complex examined at 58-61%. Nearly half of the zeaxanthin formed in PS II was associated with LHC IIb, although the molar ratio of zeaxanthin:chlorophyll a was highest in the minor LHC.

Higher plant light-harvesting complexes LHCIIa and LHCIIc are bound by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide during inhibition of energy dissipation

We have investigated the binding to proteins of the photosynthetic apparatus of the carboxy-modifying agent dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, (cHxN)2C; this inhibits the protective dissipation of excess absorbed light energy (qE) by the light-harvesting apparatus of photosystem II (LHCII), suggesting that carboxyl amino-acid side chains within hydrophobic protein domains may be involved in qE. (cHxN)2(14)C was used to label thylakoids and photosystem II particles, so as to identify proteins which may be involved in the detection of lumen pH during qE induction. Of six thylakoid proteins labelled with (cHxN)2C under conditions where qE is efficiently induced, three are associated with photosystem I, and none with the bulk LHCII. PSII-associated label is bound to three minor components of LHCII, identified as LHCIIa (two species) and LHCIIc, as shown by protein sequencing of tryptic fragments of purified complexes. pH titration of qE formation and protein labelling in coupled thylakoids showed that both qE and labelling of LHCIIa increased at pH 7-8.

Selective extraction of CP 26 and CP 29 proteins without affecting the binding of the extrinsic proteins (33, 23 and 17 kDa) and the DCMU sensitivity of a Photosystem II core complex

A highly purified oxygen evolving Photosystem II core complex was isolated from PS II membranes solubilized with the non-ionic detergent n-octyl-β-D-thioglucoside. The three extrinsic proteins (33, 23 and 17 kDa) were functionally bound to the PS II core complex. Selective extraction of the 22, 10 kDa, CP 26 and CP 29 proteins demonstrated that these species are not involved in the binding of the extrinsic proteins (33, 23 and 17 kDa) or the DCMU sensitivity of the Photosystem II complex.

The intrinsic 22 kDa protein is a chlorophyll-binding subunit of photosystem II

The intrinsic 22 kDa polypeptide associated with photosystem II (psbS protein) was found to be able to bind chlorophyll. Extraction of isolated photosystem II membranes with octyl-thioglucopyranoside, followed by repetitive electrophoresis under partially denaturing conditions gave only one green band. It contained both chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, exhibited an absorption maximum at 674 nm and a 77 K fluorescence peak at 675 nm. The chlorophyll-protein band contained a single polypeptide of 22 kDa. Based on these results and on previous protein sequence comparisons, it is suggested that the psbS protein is a chlorophyll a/b binding polypeptide and should thus be denoted CP22.

Ultrafast chlorophyll b-chlorophyll a excitation energy transfer in the isolated light harvesting complex, LHC II, of green plants. Implications for the organisation of chlorophylls

The excitation energy transfer between chlorophyll b (Chl b) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) in the isolated trimeric chlorophyll-a/b-binding protein complex of spinach photosystem 2 (LHC II) has been studied by femtosecond spectroscopy. In the main absorption band of Chl b the ground state recovery consists of two components of 0.5 ps and 2.0 ps, respectively. Also in the Chl a absorption band, at 665 nm, the ground state recovery is essentially bi-exponential. In this case is, however, the fastest relaxation lifetime is a 2.0 ps component followed by a slower component with a lifetime in the order of 10-20 ps. In the Chl b absorption band a more or less constant anisotropy of r = 0.2 was observed during the 3 ps the system was monitored. In the Chl a absorption band there was, however, a relaxation of the anisotropy from r = 0.3 to a quasi steady state level of r = 0.18 in about 1 ps. Since the 0.5 ps component is only seen upon selective excitation of Chl b we assign this component to the energy transfer between Chl b and Chl a. The other components most likely represents redistribution processes of energy among spectrally different forms of Chl a. The energy transfer process between Chl b and Chl a can well be explained by the Förster mechanism which also gives a calculated distance of 13 A between interacting chromophores. The organisation of chlorophylls in LHC II is discussed in view of the recent crystal structure data (1991) Nature 350, 130].

The 28 kDa apoprotein of CP 26 in PS II binds copper

Photosystem II (PS II) particles isolated from spinach in the presence of 10 μM CuSO4 contained 1.2 copper/300 Chl that was resistant to EDTA. When CuSO4 was not added during the isolation, PS II particles contained variable amounts of copper resistant to EDTA (0.1-1.1 copper/300 Chl). No correlation was found between copper content and oxygen evolving capacity of the PS II particles. To identify the copper binding protein, we developed a fractionation procedure which included solubilisation of PS II particles followed by precipitation with polyethylene glycol. A 22-fold purification of copper with respect to protein was achieved for a 28 kDa protein. Partial amino acid sequence of a 13 kDa fragment, obtained after V8 (endo Glu-C) protease treatment, showed identity with CP 26 over a 14 amino acid stretch. EPR measurements on the purified protein suggest oxygen and/or nitrogen as ligands for copper but tend to exclude sulfur. We conclude that the 28 kDa apoprotein of CP 26 from spinach binds one copper per molecule of CP 26. A possible function for this copper protein in the xanthophyll cycle is discussed.

Characterization of a Photosystem II core and its three-dimensional crystals

A photosystem II core from spinach containing the chlorophyll-binding proteins 47 kDa, 43 kDa, the reaction center proteins D1, D2 and cytochromeb 559 and three low molecular weight polypeptides (MW < 10 kDa) was isolated, its three-dimensional crystals were prepared, and both core and crystals were studied by spectroscopic techniques and electron microscopy. The absorption spectra of the crystallized form of the core indicate a specific orientation of the various pigments within the crystal.

Species-related differences in the electrophoretic behavior of CP 29 and CP 26: An immunochemical analysis

The monomeric chlorophyll-protein complexes, CP 29 and CP 26 seen in the Camm and Green (1980) and Dunahay and Staehelin (1986) green gels do not always migrate in the order of the apparent molecular weight of their apoproteins as determined by denaturing gel electrophoresis. In barley and corn they do, but in spinach they do not. In addition, in some higher plant species these chlorophyll-protein complexes comigrate on green gels causing confusion in the literature. To remedy this situation and circumvent future confusion, we propose that the CP 29 and CP 26 complexes be named according to the relative molecular weight of their apoproteins on denaturing gels. Our proposal is supported by the results obtained from four antibodies used on Western blot samples of whole thylakoids, grana membranes, and PS II preparations from different plants. The higher molecular weight proteins (proposed CP 29's) react strongly to one set of antibodies, and the lower molecular weight proteins (proposed CP 26's) react strongly to a different set. In spinach, CP 26 antibodies react also with CP 29, but the extent of the cross-reactivity depends critically on the gel electrophoresis system used. Accordingly, a lack of antibody reactivity under certain conditions may not indicate two proteins are unrelated, just simply that a particular epitope is no longer accessible following gel electrophoresis with a particular buffer system.

Isolation, purification and partial characterization of a 30-kDa chlorophyll-a/b-binding protein from spinach

A 30-kDa chlorophyll-a/b-binding protein was purified from photosystem II membrane fragments using Ca(2+)-chelating Sepharose 6B chromatography. The protein binds approximately four chlorophyll a molecules, one chlorophyll b molecule and carotenoids. Its 77-K fluorescence-emission spectrum exhibits a maximum at 680 +/- 1 nm. The protein has a high tendency to form a dimer in the presence of Ca2+.Ca2+ binding affects the low-temperature fluorescence-emission maximum, leading to a decrease in its intensity and a blue shift of 1 nm. Similar spectral changes were obtained in the presence of Mg2+, possibly indicating a common binding domain for both cations. We interpret these observations as cation-induced conformational changes of the protein, which were reversible upon subsequent incubation in EDTA. Evidence is presented for the involvement of carboxyl groups in the coordination sphere of the bivalent cations. The possible structural and functional role of the protein is discussed.

Evolutionary conservation of the chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins: cDNAs encoding type I, II and III LHC I polypeptides from the gymnosperm Scots pine

cDNAs encoding three different LHC I polypeptides (Type I, Type II and Type III) from the gymnosperm Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were isolated and sequences. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequences with the corresponding tomato sequences showed that all three proteins were highly conserved although less so than the LHC II proteins. The similarities between mature Scots pine and tomato Types I, II and III LHC I proteins were 80%, 87% and 85%, respectively. Two of the five His residues that are found in AXXXH sequences, which have been identified as putative chlorophyll ligands in the Type I and Type II proteins, were not conserved. The same two regions of high homology between the different LHC proteins, which have been identified in tomato, were also found in the Scots pine proteins. Within the conserved regions, the Type I and Type II proteins had the highest similarity; however, the Type II and Type III proteins also showed a similarity in the central region. The results suggest that all flowering plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) probably have the same set of LHC polypeptides. A new nomenclature for the genes encoding LHC polypeptides (formerly cab genes) is proposed. The names lha and lhb are suggested for genes encoding LHC I and LHC II proteins, respectively, analogous to the nomenclature for the genes encoding other photosynthetic proteins.

Chlorophyll a/b binding (CAB) polypeptides of CP29, the internal chlorophyll a/b complex of PSII: characterization of the tomato gene encoding the 26 kDa (type I) polypeptide, and evidence for a second CP29 polypeptide

CP29, the core chlorophyll a/b (CAB) antenna complex of Photosystem II (PSII), has two nuclear-encoded polypeptides of approximately 26 and 28 kDa in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Cab9, the gene for the Type I (26 kDa) CP29 polypeptide was cloned by immunoscreening a tomato leaf cDNA library. Its identity was confirmed by sequencing tryptic peptides from the mature protein. Cab9 is a single-copy gene with five introns, the highest number found in a CAB protein. In vitro transcription-translation gave a 31 kDa precursor which was cleaved to about 26 kDa after import into isolated tomato chloroplasts. The Cab9 polypeptide has the two highly conserved regions common to all CAB polypeptides, which define the members of this extended gene family. Outside of the conserved regions, it is only slightly more closely related to other PSII CABs than to PSI CABs. Sequence analysis of tryptic peptides from the Type II (28 kDa) CP29 polypeptide showed that it is also a member of the CAB family and is very similar or identical to the CP29 polypeptide previously isolated from spinach. All members of the CAB family have absolutely conserved His, Gln and Asn residues which could ligate the Mg atoms of the chlorophylls, and a number of conserved Asp. Glu, Lys and Arg residues which could form H-bonds to the polar groups on the porphyrin rings. The two conserved regions comprise the first and third predicted trans-membrane helices and the stroma-exposed segments preceding them.