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Zazubovich V, Jankowiak R. High-Resolution Frequency-Domain Spectroscopic and Modeling Studies of Photosystem I (PSI), PSI Mutants and PSI Supercomplexes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3850. [PMID: 38612659 PMCID: PMC11011720 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Photosystem I (PSI) is one of the two main pigment-protein complexes where the primary steps of oxygenic photosynthesis take place. This review describes low-temperature frequency-domain experiments (absorption, emission, circular dichroism, resonant and non-resonant hole-burned spectra) and modeling efforts reported for PSI in recent years. In particular, we focus on the spectral hole-burning studies, which are not as common in photosynthesis research as the time-domain spectroscopies. Experimental and modeling data obtained for trimeric cyanobacterial Photosystem I (PSI3), PSI3 mutants, and PSI3-IsiA18 supercomplexes are analyzed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of their excitonic structure and excitation energy transfer (EET) processes. Detailed information on the excitonic structure of photosynthetic complexes is essential to determine the structure-function relationship. We will focus on the so-called "red antenna states" of cyanobacterial PSI, as these states play an important role in photochemical processes and EET pathways. The high-resolution data and modeling studies presented here provide additional information on the energetics of the lowest energy states and their chlorophyll (Chl) compositions, as well as the EET pathways and how they are altered by mutations. We present evidence that the low-energy traps observed in PSI are excitonically coupled states with significant charge-transfer (CT) character. The analysis presented for various optical spectra of PSI3 and PSI3-IsiA18 supercomplexes allowed us to make inferences about EET from the IsiA18 ring to the PSI3 core and demonstrate that the number of entry points varies between sample preparations studied by different groups. In our most recent samples, there most likely are three entry points for EET from the IsiA18 ring per the PSI core monomer, with two of these entry points likely being located next to each other. Therefore, there are nine entry points from the IsiA18 ring to the PSI3 trimer. We anticipate that the data discussed below will stimulate further research in this area, providing even more insight into the structure-based models of these important cyanobacterial photosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valter Zazubovich
- Department of Physics, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Ryszard Jankowiak
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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Zhang X, Taniguchi R, Nagao R, Tomo T, Noguchi T, Ye S, Shibata Y. Access to the Antenna System of Photosystem I via Single-Molecule Excitation-Emission Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2664-2674. [PMID: 38456814 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07789] [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: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
In the development of single-molecule spectroscopy, the simultaneous detection of the excitation and emission spectra has been limited. The fluorescence excitation spectrum based on background-free signals is compatible with the fluorescence-emission-based detection of single molecules and can provide insight into the variations in the input energy of the different terminal emitters. Here, we implement single-molecule excitation-emission spectroscopy (SMEES) for photosystem I (PSI) via a cryogenic optical microscope. To this end, we extended our line-focus-based excitation-spectral microscope system to the cryogenic temperature-compatible version. PSI is one of the two photosystems embedded in the thylakoid membrane in oxygen-free photosynthetic organisms. PSI plays an essential role in electron transfer in the photosynthesis reaction. PSIs of many organisms contain a few red-shifted chlorophylls (Chls) with much lower excitation energies than ordinary antenna Chls. The fluorescence emission spectrum originates primarily from the red-shifted Chls, whereas the excitation spectrum is sensitive to the antenna Chls that are upstream of red-shifted Chls. Using SMEES, we obtained the inclining two-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (2D-EEM) of PSI particles isolated from a cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus vestitus (equivalent to elongatus), at about 80 K. Interestingly, by decomposing the inclining 2D-EEMs within time course observation, we found prominent variations in the excitation spectra of the red-shifted Chl pools with different emission wavelengths, strongly indicating the variable excitation energy transfer (EET) pathway from the antenna to the terminal emitting pools. SMEES helps us to directly gain information about the antenna system, which is fundamental to depicting the EET within pigment-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjun Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
- Division for Interdisciplinary Advanced Research and Education, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Rin Taniguchi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ryo Nagao
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Tomo
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan
| | - Takumi Noguchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Shen Ye
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yutaka Shibata
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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Reiter S, Kiss FL, Hauer J, de Vivie-Riedle R. Thermal site energy fluctuations in photosystem I: new insights from MD/QM/MM calculations. Chem Sci 2023; 14:3117-3131. [PMID: 36970098 PMCID: PMC10034153 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc06160k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacterial photosystem I (PSI) is one of the most efficient photosynthetic machineries found in nature. Due to the large scale and complexity of the system, the energy transfer mechanism from the antenna complex to the reaction center is still not fully understood. A central element is the accurate evaluation of the individual chlorophyll excitation energies (site energies). Such an evaluation must include a detailed treatment of site specific environmental influences on structural and electrostatic properties, but also their evolution in the temporal domain, because of the dynamic nature of the energy transfer process. In this work, we calculate the site energies of all 96 chlorophylls in a membrane-embedded model of PSI. The employed hybrid QM/MM approach using the multireference DFT/MRCI method in the QM region allows to obtain accurate site energies under explicit consideration of the natural environment. We identify energy traps and barriers in the antenna complex and discuss their implications for energy transfer to the reaction center. Going beyond previous studies, our model also accounts for the molecular dynamics of the full trimeric PSI complex. Via statistical analysis we show that the thermal fluctuations of single chlorophylls prevent the formation of a single prominent energy funnel within the antenna complex. These findings are also supported by a dipole exciton model. We conclude that energy transfer pathways may form only transiently at physiological temperatures, as thermal fluctuations overcome energy barriers. The set of site energies provided in this work sets the stage for theoretical and experimental studies on the highly efficient energy transfer mechanisms in PSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Reiter
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Butenandtstr. 11 81377 Munich Germany
| | - Ferdinand L Kiss
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Butenandtstr. 11 81377 Munich Germany
| | - Jürgen Hauer
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich Lichtenbergstr. 4, Garching 85747 Germany
| | - Regina de Vivie-Riedle
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Butenandtstr. 11 81377 Munich Germany
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Abstract
Biological pigment-protein complexes (PPCs) exhibit a remarkable ability to tune the optical properties of biological excitons (bioexcitons) through specific pigment-protein interactions. While such fine-tuning allows natural systems (e.g., photosynthetic proteins) to carry out their native functions with near-optimal performance, native function itself is often suboptimal for applications such as biofuel production or quantum technology development. This perspective offers a look at near-term prospects for the rational reoptimization of PPC bioexcitons for new functions using site-directed mutagenesis. The primary focus is on the "structure-spectrum" challenge of understanding the relationships between structural features and spectroscopic properties. While recent examples demonstrate that site-directed mutagenesis can be used to tune nearly all key bioexciton parameters (e.g., site energies, interpigment couplings, and electronic-vibrational interactions), critical challenges remain before we achieve truly rational design of bioexciton properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Reppert
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Saito K, Mitsuhashi K, Tamura H, Ishikita H. Quantum mechanical analysis of excitation energy transfer couplings in photosystem II. Biophys J 2023; 122:470-483. [PMID: 36609140 PMCID: PMC9941724 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated excitation energy transfer (EET) coupling (J) between all pairs of chlorophylls (Chls) and pheophytins (Pheos) in the protein environment of photosystem II based on the time-dependent density functional theory with a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics approach. In the reaction center, the EET coupling between Chls PD1 and PD2 is weaker (|J(PD1/PD2)| = 79 cm-1), irrespective of a short edge-to-edge distance of 3.6 Å (Mg-to-Mg distance of 8.1 Å), than the couplings between PD1 and the accessory ChlD1 (|J(PD1/ChlD2)| = 104 cm-1) and between PD2 and ChlD2 (|J(PD2/ChlD1)| = 101 cm-1), suggesting that PD1 and PD2 are two monomeric Chls rather than a "special pair". There exist strongly coupled Chl pairs (|J| > ∼100 cm-1) in the CP47 and CP43 core antennas, which may be candidates for the red-shifted Chls observed in spectroscopic studies. In CP47 and CP43, Chls ligated to CP47-His26 and CP43-His56, which are located in the middle layer of the thylakoid membrane, play a role in the "hub" that mediates the EET from the lumenal to stromal layers. In the stromal layer, Chls ligated to CP47-His466, CP43-His441, and CP43-His444 mediate the EET from CP47 to ChlD2/PheoD2 and from CP43 to ChlD1/PheoD1 in the reaction center. Thus, the excitation energy from both CP47 and CP43 can always be utilized for the charge-separation reaction in the reaction center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Saito
- Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Koji Mitsuhashi
- Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Tamura
- Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Ishikita
- Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Reinot T, Khmelnitskiy A, Zazubovich V, Toporik H, Mazor Y, Jankowiak R. Frequency-Domain Spectroscopic Study of the Photosystem I Supercomplexes, Isolated IsiA Monomers, and the Intact IsiA Ring. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6891-6910. [PMID: 36065077 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The PSI3-IsiA18 supercomplex is one of the largest and most complicated assemblies in photosynthesis. The IsiA ring, composed of 18 IsiA monomers (IsiA18) surrounding the PSI trimer (PSI3), forms under iron-deficient conditions in cyanobacteria and acts as a peripheral antenna. Based on the supercomplex structure recently determined via cryo-EM imaging, we model various optical spectra of the IsiA monomers and IsiA18 ring. Comparison of the absorption and emission spectra of the isolated IsiA monomers and the full ring reveals that about 2.7 chlorophylls (Chls) are lost in the isolated IsiA monomers. The best fits for isolated monomers spectra are obtained assuming the absence of Chl 508 and Chl 517 and 70% loss of Chl 511. The best model describing all three hexamers and the entire ring suggests that the lowest energy pigments are Chls 511, 514, and 517. Based on the modeling results presented in this work, we conclude that there are most likely three entry points for EET from the IsiA6 hexamer to the PSI core monomer, with two of these entry points likely being located next to each other (i.e., nine entry points from IsiA18 to the PSI3 trimer). Finally, we show that excitation energy transfer inside individual monomers is fast (<2 ps at T = 5 K) and at least 20 times faster than intermonomer energy transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Valter Zazubovich
- Department of Physics, Concordia University, Montreal, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Hila Toporik
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Yuval Mazor
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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Russo M, Casazza AP, Cerullo G, Santabarbara S, Maiuri M. Ultrafast excited state dynamics in the monomeric and trimeric photosystem I core complex of Spirulina platensis probed by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:164202. [PMID: 35490013 DOI: 10.1063/5.0078911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosystem I (PSI), a naturally occurring supercomplex composed of a core part and a light-harvesting antenna, plays an essential role in the photosynthetic electron transfer chain. Evolutionary adaptation dictates a large variability in the type, number, arrangement, and absorption of the Chlorophylls (Chls) responsible for the early steps of light-harvesting and charge separation. For example, the specific location of long-wavelength Chls (referred to as red forms) in the cyanobacterial core has been intensively investigated, but the assignment of the chromophores involved is still controversial. The most red-shifted Chl a form has been observed in the trimer of the PSI core of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis, with an absorption centered at ∼740 nm. Here, we apply two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to study photoexcitation dynamics in isolated trimers and monomers of the PSI core of S. platensis. By means of global analysis, we resolve and compare direct downhill and uphill excitation energy transfer (EET) processes between the bulk Chls and the red forms, observing significant differences between the monomer (lacking the most far red Chl form at 740 nm) and the trimer, with the ultrafast EET component accelerated by five times, from 500 to 100 fs, in the latter. Our findings highlight the complexity of EET dynamics occurring over a broad range of time constants and their sensitivity to energy distribution and arrangement of the cofactors involved. The comparison of monomeric and trimeric forms, differing both in the antenna dimension and in the extent of red forms, enables us to extract significant information regarding PSI functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Russo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Paola Casazza
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Bassini 15a, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Santabarbara
- Photosynthesis Research Unit, Centro Studi sulla Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Margherita Maiuri
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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8
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Dobson Z, Ahad S, Vanlandingham J, Toporik H, Vaughn N, Vaughn M, Williams D, Reppert M, Fromme P, Mazor Y. The structure of photosystem I from a high-light-tolerant cyanobacteria. eLife 2021; 10:e67518. [PMID: 34435952 PMCID: PMC8428864 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms have adapted to survive a myriad of extreme environments from the earth's deserts to its poles, yet the proteins that carry out the light reactions of photosynthesis are highly conserved from the cyanobacteria to modern day crops. To investigate adaptations of the photosynthetic machinery in cyanobacteria to excessive light stress, we isolated a new strain of cyanobacteria, Cyanobacterium aponinum 0216, from the extreme light environment of the Sonoran Desert. Here we report the biochemical characterization and the 2.7 Å resolution structure of trimeric photosystem I from this high-light-tolerant cyanobacterium. The structure shows a new conformation of the PsaL C-terminus that supports trimer formation of cyanobacterial photosystem I. The spectroscopic analysis of this photosystem I revealed a decrease in far-red absorption, which is attributed to a decrease in the number of long- wavelength chlorophylls. Using these findings, we constructed two chimeric PSIs in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 demonstrating how unique structural features in photosynthetic complexes can change spectroscopic properties, allowing organisms to thrive under different environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Dobson
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Safa Ahad
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteUnited States
| | - Jackson Vanlandingham
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Hila Toporik
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Natalie Vaughn
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Michael Vaughn
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Dewight Williams
- John M. Cowley Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Michael Reppert
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteUnited States
| | - Petra Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Yuval Mazor
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- BiodesignCenter for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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Excitation energy transfer kinetics of trimeric, monomeric and subunit-depleted Photosystem I from Synechocystis PCC 6803. Biochem J 2021; 478:1333-1346. [PMID: 33687054 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Photosystem I is the most efficient photosynthetic enzyme with structure and composition highly conserved among all oxygenic phototrophs. Cyanobacterial Photosystem I is typically associated into trimers for reasons that are still debated. Almost universally, Photosystem I contains a number of long-wavelength-absorbing 'red' chlorophylls (Chls), that have a sizeable effect on the excitation energy transfer and trapping. Here we present spectroscopic comparison of trimeric Photosystem I from Synechocystis PCC 6803 with a monomeric complex from the ΔpsaL mutant and a 'minimal' monomeric complex ΔFIJL, containing only subunits A, B, C, D, E, K and M. The quantum yield of photochemistry at room temperature was the same in all complexes, demonstrating the functional robustness of this photosystem. The monomeric complexes had a reduced far-red absorption and emission equivalent to the loss of 1.5-2 red Chls emitting at 710-715 nm, whereas the longest-wavelength emission at 722 nm was not affected. The picosecond fluorescence kinetics at 77 K showed spectrally and kinetically distinct red Chls in all complexes and equilibration times of up to 50 ps. We found that the red Chls are not irreversible traps at 77 K but can still transfer excitations to the reaction centre, especially in the trimeric complexes. Structure-based Förster energy transfer calculations support the assignment of the lowest-energy state to the Chl pair B37/B38 and the trimer-specific red Chl emission to Chls A32/B7 located at the monomer-monomer interface. These intermediate-energy red Chls facilitate energy migration from the lowest-energy states to the reaction centre.
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Kimura A, Kitoh-Nishioka H, Shigeta Y, Itoh S. Comparison between the Light-Harvesting Mechanisms of Type-I Photosynthetic Reaction Centers of Heliobacteria and Photosystem I: Pigment Site Energy Distribution and Exciton State. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:3727-3738. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Kimura
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kitoh-Nishioka
- JST, PRESTO, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
- Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8571, Japan
- Graduate School of System Informatics, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Shigeta
- Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8571, Japan
| | - Shigeru Itoh
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
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