Magneto-Optic Spectroscopy of a Protein Tetramer Binding Two Exciton-Coupled Chlorophylls

Theory of 2D electronic spectroscopy of water soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP): Signatures of Chl b derivate

We investigate how electronic excitations and subsequent dissipative dynamics in the water soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) are connected to features in two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectra, thereby comparing results from our theoretical approach with experimental data from the literature. Our calculations rely on third-order response functions, which we derived from a second-order cumulant expansion of the dissipative dynamics involving the partial ordering prescription, assuming a fast vibrational relaxation in the potential energy surfaces of excitons. Depending on whether the WSCP complex containing a tetrameric arrangement of pigments composed of two dimers with weak excitonic coupling between them binds the chlorophyll variant Chl a or Chl b, the resulting linear absorption and circular dichroism spectra and particularly the 2D spectra exhibit substantial differences in line shapes. These differences between Chl a WSCP and Chl b WSCP cannot be explained by the slightly modified excitonic couplings within the two variants. In the case of Chl a WSCP, the assumption of equivalent dimer subunits facilitates a reproduction of substantial features from the experiment by the calculations. In contrast, for Chl b WSCP, we have to assume that the sample, in addition to Chl b dimers, contains a small but distinct fraction of chemically modified Chl b pigments. The existence of such Chl b derivates has been proposed by Pieper et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 115, 4042 (2011)] based on low-temperature absorption and hole-burning spectroscopy. Here, we provide independent evidence.

Exciton interactions of chlorophyll tetramer in water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein BoWSCP

The exciton interaction of four chlorophyll a (Chl a) molecules in a symmetrical tetrameric complex of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein BoWSCP was analyzed in the pH range of 3-11. Exciton splitting ΔE = 232 ± 2 cm-1 of the Qy band of Chl a into two subcomponents with relative intensities of 78.1 ± 0.7 % and 21.9 ± 0.7 % was determined by a joint decomposition of the absorption and circular dichroism spectra into Gaussian functions. The exciton coupling parameters were calculated based on the BoWSCP atomic structure in three approximations: the point dipole model, the distributed atomic monopoles, and direct ab initio calculations in the TDDFT/PCM approximation. The Coulomb interactions of monomers were calculated within the continuum model using three values of optical permittivity. The models based on the properties of free Chl a in solution suffer from significant errors both in estimating the absolute value of the exciton interaction and in the relative intensity of exciton transitions. Calculations within the TDDFT/PCM approximation reproduce the experimentally determined parameters of the exciton splitting and the relative intensities of the exciton bands. The following factors of pigment-protein and pigment-pigment interactions were examined: deviation of the macrocycle geometry from the planar conformation of free Chl; the formation of hydrogen bonds between the macrocycle and water molecules; the overlap of wave functions of monomers at close distances. The most significant factor is the geometrical deformation of the porphyrin macrocycle, which leads to an increase in the dipole moment of Chl monomer from 5.5 to 6.9 D and to a rotation of the dipole moment by 15° towards the cyclopentane ring. The contributions of resonant charge-transfer states to the wave functions of the Chl dimer were determined and the transition dipole moments of the symmetric and antisymmetric charge-transfer states were estimated.

Magnetic Circular Dichroism Elucidates Molecular Interactions in Aggregated Chiral Organic Materials

Chiral materials formed by aggregated organic compounds play a fundamental role in chiral optoelectronics, photonics and spintronics. Nonetheless, a precise understanding of the molecular interactions involved remains an open problem. Here we introduce magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) as a new tool to elucidate molecular interactions and structural parameters of a supramolecular system. A detailed analysis of MCD together with electronic circular dichroism spectra combined to ab initio calculations unveils essential information on the geometry and energy levels of a self-assembled thin film made of a carbazole di-bithiophene chiral molecule. This approach can be extended to a generality of chiral organic materials and can help rationalizing the fundamental interactions leading to supramolecular order. This in turn could enable a better understanding of structure-property relationships, resulting in a more efficient material design.

Femtosecond Dynamics of Excited States of Chlorophyll Tetramer in Water-Soluble Chlorophyll-Binding Protein BoWSCP

The paper reports on the absorption dynamics of chlorophyll a in a symmetric tetrameric complex of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein BoWSCP. It was measured by a broadband femtosecond laser pump-probe spectroscopy within the range from 400 to 750 nm and with a time resolution of 20 fs-200 ps. When BoWSCP was excited in the region of the Soret band at a wavelength of 430 nm, nonradiative intramolecular conversion S3→S1 was observed with a characteristic time of 83 ± 9 fs. When the complex was excited in the region of the Qy band at 670 nm, relaxation transition between two excitonic states of the chlorophyll dimer was observed in the range of 105 ± 10 fs. Absorption spectra of the excited singlet states S1 and S3 of chlorophyll a were obtained. The delocalization of the excited state between exciton-coupled Chl molecules in BoWSCP tetramer changed in time and depended on the excitation energy. When BoWSCP is excited in the Soret band region, an ultrafast photochemical reaction is observed. This could result from the reduction of tryptophan in the vicinity of chlorophyll.

Signatures of intramolecular vibrational and vibronic Q[Formula: see text]-Q[Formula: see text] coupling effects in absorption and CD spectra of chlorophyll dimers

An electron-vibrational coupling model that includes the vibronic (non-adiabatic) coupling between the Q[Formula: see text] and Q[Formula: see text] transitions of chlorophyll (Chl), created by Reimers and coworkers (Scientific Rep. 3, 2761, 2013) is extended here to chlorophyll dimers with interchlorophyll excitonic coupling. The model is applied to a Chl a dimer of the water-soluble chlorophyll binding protein (WSCP). As for isolated chlorophyll, the vibronic coupling is found to have a strong influence on the high-frequency vibrational sideband in the absorption spectrum, giving rise to a band splitting. In contrast, in the CD spectrum the interplay of vibronic coupling and static disorder leads to a strong suppression of the vibrational sideband in excellent agreement with the experimental data. The conservative nature of the CD spectrum in the low-energy region is found to be caused by a delicate balance of the intermonomer excitonic coupling between the purely electronic Q[Formula: see text] transition and the Q[Formula: see text] transition involving intramolecular vibrational excitations on one hand and the coupling to higher-energy electronic transitions on the other hand.

Probing Through-Bond and Through-Space Interactions in Singlet Fission-Based Pentacene Dimers

Interchromophoric interactions such as Coulombic coupling and exchange interactions are crucial to the functional properties of numerous π-conjugated systems. Here, we use magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy to investigate interchromophoric interactions in singlet fission relevant pentacene dimers. Using a simple analytical model, we outline a general relationship between the geometry of pentacene dimers and their calculated MCD response. We analyze experimental MCD spectra of different covalently bridged pentacene dimers to reveal how the molecular structure of the "bridge" affects the magnitude of through-space Coulombic and through-bond exchange interactions in the system. Our results show that through-bond interactions are significant in dimers with conjugated molecules as bridging units and these interactions promote the overall electronic coupling in the system. Our generalized approach paves the way for the application of MCD in investigating interchromophoric interactions across a range of π-conjugated systems.

New insights into chlorophyll-WSCP (water-soluble chlorophyll proteins) interactions : The case study of BnD22 (Brassica napus drought-induced 22 kDa)

The water-soluble chlorophyll-proteins (WSCP) of class II from Brassicaceae are non-photosynthetic proteins that bind chlorophylls (Chls) and chlorophyll derivatives. Their physiological roles, biochemical functions and mode of action are still unclear. It is assumed that the WSCPs have a protection function against Chl photodamage during stressful conditions. WSCPs are subdivided into class IIA and class IIB according to their apparent Chla/b binding ratio. Although their Chla/Chlb binding selectivity has been partly characterized, their Chl affinities are not yet precisely defined. For instance, WSCPs IIA do not show any Chl binding preference while WSCPs IIB have greater affinity to Chlb. In this study, we present a novel method for assessment of Chl binding to WSCPs based on the differences of Chl photobleaching rates in a large range of Chl/protein ratios. The protein we have chosen to study WSCP is BnD22, a WSCP IIA induced in the leaves of Brassica napus under water deficit. BnD22 formed oligomeric complexes upon binding to Chla and/or Chlb allowing a protective effect against photodamage. The binding constants indicate that BnD22 binds with high affinity the Chls and with a strong selectivity to Chla. Moreover, dependending of Chl/protein ratio upon reconstitution, two distinct binding events were detected resulting from difference of Chl stoichiometry inside oligomeric complexes.

Magnetophotoselection in the Investigation of Excitonically Coupled Chromophores: The Case of the Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Protein

A magnetophotoselection (MPS) investigation of the photoexcited triplet state of chlorophyll a both in a frozen organic solvent and in a protein environment, provided by the water-soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP) of Lepidium virginicum, is reported. The MPS experiment combines the photoselection achieved by exciting with linearly polarized light with the magnetic selection of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, allowing the determination of the relative orientation of the optical transition dipole moment and the zero-field splitting tensor axes in both environments. We demonstrate the robustness of the proposed methodology for a quantitative description of the excitonic interactions among pigments. The orientation of the optical transition dipole moments determined by the EPR analysis in WSCP, identified as an appropriate model system, are in excellent agreement with those calculated in the point-dipole approximation. In addition, MPS provides information on the electronic properties of the triplet state, localized on a single chlorophyll a pigment of the protein cluster, in terms of orientation of the zero-field splitting tensor axes in the molecular frame.

Towards a quantitative description of excitonic couplings in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes: quantum chemistry driven multiscale approaches

A structure-based quantitative calculation of excitonic couplings between photosynthetic pigments has to describe the dynamical polarization of the protein/solvent environment of the pigments, giving rise to reaction field and screening effects. Here, this challenging problem is approached by combining the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method with the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The method is applied to compute excitonic couplings between chlorophyll a (Chl a) pigments of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP). By calibrating the vacuum dipole strength of the 0-0 transition of the Chl a chromophores according to experimental data, an excellent agreement between calculated and experimental linear absorption and circular dichroism spectra of WSCP is obtained. The effect of the mutual polarization of the pigment ground states is calculated to be very small. The simple Poisson-Transition-charge-from-Electrostatic-potential (Poisson-TrEsp) method is found to accurately describe the screening part of the excitonic coupling, obtained with FMO/PCM. Taking into account that the reaction field effects of the latter method can be described by a scalar constant leads to an improvement of Poisson-TrEsp that is expected to provide the basis for simple and realistic calculations of optical spectra and energy transfer in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes. In addition, we present an expression for the estimation of Huang-Rhys factors of high-frequency pigment vibrations from experimental fluorescence line-narrowing spectra that takes into account the redistribution of oscillator strength by the interpigment excitonic coupling. Application to WSCP results in corrected Huang-Rhys factors that are less than one third of the original values obtained by the standard electronic two-state analysis that neglects the above redistribution. These factors are important for the estimation of the dipole strength of the 0-0 transition of the chromophores and for the development of calculation schemes for the spectral density of the exciton-vibrational coupling.

Femtosecond anisotropy excitation spectroscopy to disentangle the Qx and Qy absorption in chlorophyll a

Femtosecond anisotropy excitation spectroscopy is a powerful tool for unraveling contributions of electronic transitions. Here, we applied it to chlorophyll a, identifying the contribution of Qx and Qy transitions within its absorption spectrum.

Pentacene-Bridge Interactions in an Axially Chiral Binaphthyl Pentacene Dimer

Molecular chirality can be exploited as a sensitive reporter of the nature of intra- and interchromophore interactions in π-conjugated systems. In this report, we designed an intramolecular singlet fission (iSF)-based pentacene dimer with an axially chiral binaphthyl bridge (2,2'-(2,2'-dimethoxy-[1,1'-binaphthalene]-3,3'-diyl) n-octyl-di-isopropyl silylethynyl dipentacene, BNBP) to utilize its chiroptical response as a marker of iSF chromophore-bridge-chromophore (SFC-β-SFC) interactions. The axial chirality of the bridge enforces significant one-handed excitonic coupling of the pentacene monomer units; as such, BNBP exhibits significant chiroptical response in the ground and excited states. We analyzed the chiroptical response of BNBP using the exciton coupling method and quadratic response density functional theory calculations to reveal that higher energy singlet transitions in BNBP involve significant delocalization of the electronic density on the bridging binaphthyl group. Our results highlight the promising application of chiroptical techniques to investigate the nature of SFC-β-SFC interactions that impact singlet fission dynamics.

Changes in excitation relaxation of diatoms in response to fluctuating light, probed by fluorescence spectroscopies

A marine pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Pt) and a marine centric diatom Chaetoceros gracilis (Cg) possess unique light-harvesting complexes, fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (FCPs). FCPs have dual functions: light harvesting in the blue to green regions and quenching of excess energy. So far, excitation dynamics including FCPs have been studied by altering continuous light conditions. In the present study, we examined responses of the diatom cells to fluctuating light (FL) conditions. Excitation dynamics in the cells incubated under the FL conditions were analyzed by time-resolved fluorescence measurements followed by global analysis. As responses common to the Pt and Cg cells, quenching behaviors were observed in photosystem (PS) II with time constants of hundreds of picoseconds. The PSII → PSI energy transfer was modified only in the Pt cells, whereas quenching in FCPs was suggested only in the Cg cells, indicating different strategy for the dissipation of excess energy under the FL conditions.

The pigment binding behaviour of water-soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP)

Water-soluble chlorophyll proteins (WSCPs) are homotetrameric proteins that bind four chlorophyll (Chl) molecules in identical binding sites, which makes WSCPs a good model to study protein-pigment interactions. In a previous study, we described preferential binding of Chl a or Chl b in various WSCP versions. Chl b binding is preferred when a hydrogen bond can be formed between the C7 formyl of the chlorin macrocycle and the protein, whereas Chl a is preferred when Chl b binding is sterically unfavorable. Here, we determined the binding affinities and kinetics of various WSCP versions not only for Chl a/b, but also for chlorophyllide (Chlide) a/b and pheophytin (Pheo) a/b. Altered KD values are responsible for the Chl a/b selectivity in WSCP whereas differences in the reaction kinetics are neglectable in explaining different Chl a/b preferences. WSCP binds both Chlide and Pheo with a lower affinity than Chl, which indicates the importance of the phytol chain and the central Mg2+ ion as interaction sites between WSCP and pigment. Pheophorbide (Pheoide), lacking both the phytol chain and the central Mg2+ ion, can only be bound as Pheoide b to a WSCP that has a higher affinity for Chl b than Chl a, which underlines the impact of the C7 formyl-protein interaction. Moreover, WSCP was able to bind protochlorophyllide and Mg-protoporphyrin IX, which suggests that neither the size of the π electron system of the macrocycle nor the presence of a fifth ring at the macrocycle notably affect the binding to WSCP. WSCP also binds heme to form a tetrameric complex, suggesting that heme is bound in the Chl-binding site.

Thomas John Wydrzynski (8 July 1947-16 March 2018)

With this Tribute, we remember and honor Thomas John (Tom) Wydrzynski. Tom was a highly innovative, independent and committed researcher, who had, early in his career, defined his life-long research goal. He was committed to understand how Photosystem II produces molecular oxygen from water, using the energy of sunlight, and to apply this knowledge towards making artificial systems. In this tribute, we summarize his research journey, which involved working on 'soft money' in several laboratories around the world for many years, as well as his research achievements. We also reflect upon his approach to life, science and student supervision, as we perceive it. Tom was not only a thoughtful scientist that inspired many to enter this field of research, but also a wonderful supervisor and friend, who is deeply missed (see footnote*).

Stability of Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Protein (WSCP) Depends on Phytyl Conformation

Water-soluble chlorophyll proteins (WSCP) from Brassicaceae form homotetrameric chlorophyll (Chl)-protein complexes binding one Chl per apoprotein and no carotenoids. Despite the lack of photoprotecting pigments, the complex-bound Chls displays a remarkable stability toward photodynamic damage. On the basis of a mutational study, we show that not only the presence of the phytyls is necessary for photoprotection in WSCPs, as we previously demonstrated, but also is their correct conformation and localization. The extreme heat stability of WSCP also depends on the presence of the phytyl chains, confirming their relevance for the unusual stability of WSCP.

Wavelength-Dependent Exciton-Vibrational Coupling in the Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Binding Protein Revealed by Multilevel Theory of Difference Fluorescence Line-Narrowing

One of the most powerful line-narrowing techniques used to unravel the homogeneous lineshapes of inhomogeneously broadened systems is difference fluorescence line-narrowing spectroscopy. When this spectroscopy was applied to multichromophoric systems so far, the spectra were analyzed by an effective two-level system approach, composed of the electronic ground state and the lowest exciton state. An effective Huang-Rhys factor was assigned for the coupling of this state to the vibrations. Here, we extend this approach by including a multilevel line shape theory, which takes into account the excitonic coupling between pigments and thereby the effect of the delocalization of the excited states explicitly. In this way, it becomes possible to extract the spectral density of the local exciton-vibrational coupling. The theory is applied to the recombinant water-soluble chlorophyll binding protein reconstituted with chlorophyll a or b and reveals a significant decrease of the Huang-Rhys factor of the local exciton-vibrational coupling with decreasing transition energy of the chlorophylls. This decrease could be due to the increase in steric interactions reducing the flexibility of the environment and red-shifting the site energy of the pigments.

Theory of Anisotropic Circular Dichroism of Excitonically Coupled Systems: Application to the Baseplate of Green Sulfur Bacteria

A simple exciton theory for the description of anisotropic circular dichroism (ACD) spectra of multichromophoric systems is presented that is expected to be of general use for the analysis of structure-function relationships of molecular aggregates such as photosynthetic light-harvesting antennae. The theory is applied to the baseplate of green sulfur bacteria. It is demonstrated that only the combined analysis of ACD and circular dichroism (CD) spectra for the present baseplate bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a dimer allows for an unambiguous determination of the parameters of the exciton Hamiltonian from experimental data. The analysis of experimental absorption and linear dichroism spectra suggests that either the NMR structure has to be refined or in addition to the dimers seen in the NMR structure and in the CD and ACD spectra, BChl a monomers are present in the baseplate carotenosome sample. A refined dimer structure is presented, explaining all four optical spectra.

An unusual role for the phytyl chains in the photoprotection of the chlorophylls bound to Water-Soluble Chlorophyll-binding Proteins

Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Proteins (WSCPs) from Brassicaceae are non-photosynthetic proteins which tetramerize upon binding four chlorophyll (Chl) molecules. The bound Chls are highly photostable, despite the lack of bound carotenoids known, in Chl-containing photosynthetic proteins, to act as singlet oxygen and Chl triplet (3Chl) quenchers. Although the physiological function of WSCPs is still unclear, it is likely to be related to their biochemical stability and their resistance to photodegradation. To get insight into the origin of this photostability, the properties of the 3Chl generated in WSCPs upon illumination were investigated. We found that, unlike the excited singlet states, which are excitonic states, the triplet state is localized on a single Chl molecule. Moreover, the lifetime of the 3Chl generated in WSCPs is comparable to that observed in other Chl-containing systems and is reduced in presence of oxygen. In contrast to previous observations, we found that WSCP actually photosensitizes singlet oxygen with an efficiency comparable to that of Chl in organic solvent. We demonstrated that the observed resistance to photooxidation depends on the conformation of the phytyl moieties, which in WSCP are interposed between the rings of Chl dimers, hindering the access of singlet oxygen to the oxidizable sites of the pigments.

Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Protein (WSCP) Stably Binds Two or Four Chlorophylls

Water-soluble chlorophyll proteins (WSCPs) of class IIa from Brassicaceae form tetrameric complexes containing one chlorophyll (Chl) per apoprotein but no carotenoids. The complexes are remarkably stable toward dissociation and protein denaturation even at 100 °C and extreme pH values, and the Chls are partially protected against photooxidation. There are several hypotheses that explain the biological role of WSCPs, one of them proposing that they function as a scavenger of Chls set free upon plant senescence or pathogen attack. The biochemical properties of WSCP described in this paper are consistent with the protein acting as an efficient and flexible Chl scavenger. At limiting Chl concentrations, the recombinant WSCP apoprotein binds substoichiometric amounts of Chl (two Chls per tetramer) to form complexes that are as stable toward thermal dissociation, denaturation, and photodamage as the fully pigmented ones. If more Chl is added, these two-Chl complexes can bind another two Chls to reach the fully pigmented state. The protection of WSCP Chls against photodamage has been attributed to the apoprotein serving as a diffusion barrier for oxygen, preventing its access to triplet excited Chls and, thus, the formation of singlet oxygen. By contrast, the sequential binding of Chls by WSCP suggests a partially open or at least flexible structure, raising the question of how WSCP photoprotects its Chls without the help of carotenoids.

Water in Oil Emulsions: A New System for Assembling Water-soluble Chlorophyll-binding Proteins with Hydrophobic Pigments

Chlorophylls (Chls) and bacteriochlorophylls (BChls) are the primary cofactors that carry out photosynthetic light harvesting and electron transport. Their functionality critically depends on their specific organization within large and elaborate multisubunit transmembrane protein complexes. In order to understand at the molecular level how these complexes facilitate solar energy conversion, it is essential to understand protein-pigment, and pigment-pigment interactions, and their effect on excited dynamics. One way of gaining such understanding is by constructing and studying complexes of Chls with simple water-soluble recombinant proteins. However, incorporating the lipophilic Chls and BChls into water-soluble proteins is difficult. Moreover, there is no general method, which could be used for assembly of water-soluble proteins with hydrophobic pigments. Here, we demonstrate a simple and high throughput system based on water-in-oil emulsions, which enables assembly of water-soluble proteins with hydrophobic Chls. The new method was validated by assembling recombinant versions of the water-soluble chlorophyll binding protein of Brassicaceae plants (WSCP) with Chl a. We demonstrate the successful assembly of Chl a using crude lysates of WSCP expressing E. coli cell, which may be used for developing a genetic screen system for novel water-soluble Chl-binding proteins, and for studies of Chl-protein interactions and assembly processes.

Hole-Burning Spectroscopy on Excitonically Coupled Pigments in Proteins: Theory Meets Experiment

A theory for the calculation of resonant and nonresonant hole-burning (HB) spectra of pigment–protein complexes is presented and applied to the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) from cauliflower. The theory is based on a non-Markovian line shape theory (Renger and MarcusJ. Chem. Phys.2002, 116, 9997) and includes exciton delocalization, vibrational sidebands, and lifetime broadening. An earlier approach by Reppert (J. Phys. Chem. Lett.2011, 2, 2716) is found to describe nonresonant HB spectra only. Here we present a theory that can be used for a quantitative description of HB data for both nonresonant and resonant burning conditions. We find that it is important to take into account the excess energy of the excitation in the HB process. Whereas excitation of the zero-phonon transition of the lowest exciton state, that is, resonant burning allows the protein to access only its conformational substates in the neighborhood of the preburn state, any higher excitation gives the protein full access to all conformations present in the original inhomogeneous ensemble. Application of the theory to recombinant WSCP from cauliflower, reconstituted with chlorophyll a or chlorophyll b, gives excellent agreement with experimental data by Pieper et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B2011, 115, 405321417356) and allows us to obtain an upper bound of the lifetime of the upper exciton state directly from the HB experiments in agreement with lifetimes measured recently in time domain 2D experiments by Alster et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B2014, 118, 352424627983).

Circularly polarized luminescence spectroscopy reveals low-energy excited states and dynamic localization of vibronic transitions in CP43

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopy is an established but relatively little-used technique that monitors the chirality of an emission. When applied to photosynthetic pigment assemblies, we find that CPL provides sensitive and detailed information on low-energy exciton states, reflecting the interactions, site energies and geometries of interacting pigments. CPL is the emission analog of circular dichroism (CD) and thus spectra explore the optical activity only of fluorescent states of the pigment-protein complex and consequently the nature of the lowest-energy excited states (trap states), whose study is a critical area of photosynthesis research. In this work, we develop the new approach of temperature-dependent CPL spectroscopy, over the 2-120 K temperature range, and apply it to the CP43 proximal antenna protein of photosystem II. Our results confirm strong excitonic interactions for at least one of the two well-established emitting states of CP43 named "A" and "B". Previous structure-based models of CP43 spectra are evaluated in the light of the new CPL data. Our analysis supports the assignments of Shibata et al. [Shibata et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135 (2013) 6903-6914], particularly for the highly-delocalized B-state. This state dominates CPL spectra and is attributed predominantly to chlorophyll a's labeled Chl 634 and Chl 636 (alternatively labeled Chl 43 and 45 by Shibata et al.). The absence of any CPL intensity in intramolecular vibrational sidebands associated with the delocalized "B" excited state is attributed to the dynamic localization of intramolecular vibronic transitions.

Identification of genes encoding photoconvertible (Class I) water-soluble chlorophyll-binding proteins from Chenopodium ficifolium

Photoconvertible water-soluble chlorophyll-binding proteins, called Class I WSCPs, have been detected in Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae and Polygonaceae plant species. To date, Chenopodium album WSCP (CaWSCP) is the only cloned gene encoding a Class I WSCP. In this study, we identified two cDNAs encoding Chenopodium ficifolium Class I WSCPs, CfWSCP1, and CfWSCP2. Sequence analyses revealed that the open reading frames of CfWSCP1 and CfWSCP2 were 585 and 588 bp, respectively. Furthermore, both CfWSCPs contain cystein2 and cystein30, which are essential for the chlorophyll-binding ability of CaWSCP. Recombinant CfWSCP1 and CfWSCP2, expressed in Escherichia coli as hexa-histidine fusion proteins (CfWSCP1-His and CfWSCP2-His), formed inclusion bodies; however, we were able to solubilize these using a buffer containing 8 M urea and then refold them by dialysis. The refolded CfWSCP1-His and CfWSCP2-His could bind chlorophylls and exhibited photoconvertibility, confirming that the cloned CfWSCPs are further examples of Class I WSCPs.

Cysteine-2 and Cys30 are essential for chlorophyll-binding activity of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) of Chenopodium album

Chenopodium album has a non-photosynthetic chlorophyll protein known as the water-soluble chlorophyll (Chl)-binding protein (WSCP). The C. album WSCP (CaWSCP) is able to photoconvert the chlorin skeleton of Chl a into a bacteriochlorin-like skeleton. Reducing reagents such as β-mercaptoethanol or dithiothreitol inhibit photoconversion, indicating that S-S bridge(s) in CaWSCP are quite important for it. Recently, we found that the mature region of CaWSCP contains five cysteine residues; Cys2, Cys30, Cys48, Cys63, and Cys144. To identify which cysteine residues are involved in the photoconversion, we generated five mutants (C2S, C30S, C48S, C63S, and C144S) by site-directed mutagenesis. Interestingly, C48S, C63S, and C144S mutants showed the same Chl-binding activity and photoconvertibility as those of the recombinant wild-type CaWSCP-His, while the C2S and C30S mutants completely lost Chl-binding activity. Our findings indicated that the S-S bridge between Cys2 and Cys30 in each CaWSCP subunit is essential for Chl-binding activity.

Three-step photoconversion of only three subunits of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein tetramer from Chenopodium album

Water-soluble chlorophyll (Chl)-binding proteins (WSCPs) have been found in various plants. WSCPs are categorized into two classes based on their photoconvertibility: Class I (photoconvertible) and Class II (non-photoconvertible). Based on their absorption peaks, which occur in the red wavelengths, the pre- and post-photoconverted forms of Chenopodium album WSCP (CaWSCP) are called CP668 and CP742, respectively. Although various biochemical and biophysical properties of CaWSCP have already been characterized, questions remain regarding the structural dynamics of the photoconversion from CP668 to CP742, and the relationship between the photoconversion activity and incident light wavelength. To address how the wavelength of incident light affects the photoconversion, we performed time-course analyses of CaWSCP photoconversion by using light-emitting diodes that emit either white light, or at the discrete wavelengths 670, 645, 525, 470, or 430 nm. The most efficient photoconversion was observed under irradiation at 430 nm. Less efficient photoconversion was observed under irradiation with 670, 645, 470, or 525 nm light, in that order. The relationship between photoconversion activity and wavelength corresponded with the absorption peak intensities of Chls in the CaWSCP complex. The observed time dependence of the A(742)/A(668) ratio during photoconversion of the CaWSCP complex indicated that the photoconversion from CP668 to CP742 occurs in a three-step reaction, and that only three subunits in the complex could be photoconverted.

Molecular cloning, characterization and analysis of the intracellular localization of a water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) from Virginia pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum), a unique WSCP that preferentially binds chlorophyll b in vitro

Various plants possess non-photosynthetic, hydrophilic chlorophyll (Chl) proteins called water-soluble Chl-binding proteins (WSCPs). WSCPs are categorized into two classes; Class I (photoconvertible type) and Class II (non-photoconvertible type). Among Class II WSCPs, only Lepidium virginicum WSCP (LvWSCP) exhibits a low Chl a/b ratio compared with that found in the leaf. Although the physicochemical properties of LvWSCP have been characterized, its molecular properties have not yet been documented. Here, we report the characteristics of the LvWSCP gene, the biochemical properties of a recombinant LvWSCP, and the intracellular localization of LvWSCP. The cloned LvWSCP gene possesses a 669-bp open reading frame. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the precursor of LvWSCP contains both N- and C-terminal extension peptides. RT-PCR analysis revealed that LvWSCP was transcribed in various tissues, with the levels being higher in developing tissues. A recombinant LvWSCP and hexa-histidine fusion protein (LvWSCP-His) could remove Chls from the thylakoid in aqueous solution and showed an absorption spectrum identical to that of native LvWSCP. Although LvWSCP-His could bind both Chl a and Chl b, it bound almost exclusively to Chl b when reconstituted in 40 % methanol. To clarify the intracellular targeting functions of the N- and C-terminal extension peptides, we constructed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing the Venus protein fused with the LvWSCP N- and/or C-terminal peptides, as well as Venus fused at the C-terminus of LvWSCP. The results showed that the N-terminal peptide functioned in ER body targeting, while the C-terminal sequence did not act as a trailer peptide.

The photoconvertible water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein of Chenopodium album is a member of DUF538, a superfamily that distributes in Embryophyta

Various plants possess hydrophilic chlorophyll (Chl) proteins known as water-soluble Chl-binding proteins (WSCPs). WSCPs exist in two forms: Class I and Class II, of which Class I alone exhibits unique photoconvertibility. Although numerous genes encoding Class II WSCPs have been identified and the molecular properties of their recombinant proteins have been well characterized, no Class I WSCP gene has been identified to date. In this study, we cloned the cDNA and a gene encoding the Class I WSCP of Chenopodium album (CaWSCP). Sequence analyses revealed that CaWSCP comprises a single exon corresponding to 585bp of an open reading frame encoding 195 amino acid residues. The CaWSCP protein sequence possesses a signature of DUF538, a protein superfamily of unknown function found almost exclusively in Embryophyta. The recombinant CaWSCP was expressed in Escherichia coli as a hexa-histidine fusion protein (CaWSCP-His) that removes Chls from the thylakoid. Under visible light illumination, the reconstituted CaWSCP-His was successfully photoconverted into a different pigment with an absorption spectrum identical to that of native CaWSCP. Interestingly, while CaWSCP-His could bind both Chl a and Chl b, photoconversion occurred only in CaWSCP-His reconstituted with Chl a.

Selective and differential optical spectroscopies in photosynthesis

Photosynthetic pigments are inherently intense optical absorbers and have strong polarisation characteristics. They can also luminesce strongly. These properties have led optical spectroscopies to be, quite naturally, key techniques in photosynthesis. However, there are typically many pigments in a photosynthetic assembly, which when combined with the very significant inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidths characteristic of optical transitions, leads to spectral congestion. This in turn has made it difficult to provide a definitive and detailed electronic structure for many photosynthetic assemblies. An electronic structure is, however, necessary to provide a foundation for any complete description of fundamental processes in photosynthesis, particularly those in reaction centres. A wide range of selective and differential spectral techniques have been developed to help overcome the problems of spectral complexity and congestion. The techniques can serve to either reduce spectral linewidths and/or extract chromophore specific information from unresolved spectral features. Complementary spectral datasets, generated by a number of techniques, may then be combined in a 'multi-dimensional' theoretical analysis so as to constrain and define effective models of photosynthetic assemblies and their fundamental processes. A key example is the work of Renger and his group (Raszewski, Biophys J 88(2):986-998, 2005) on PS II reaction centre assemblies. This article looks to provide an overview of some of these techniques and indicate where their strengths and weaknesses may lie. It highlights some of our own contributions and indicates areas where progress may be possible.

Spectral shift mechanisms of chlorophylls in liquids and proteins

Origins of non-excitonic spectral shifts of chlorophylls that can reach -1,000 cm(-1) in pigment-protein complexes are actively debated in literature. We investigate possible shift mechanisms, basing on absorption and fluorescence measurements in large number of liquids. Transition wavelength in solvent-free state was estimated (±2 nm) for chlorophyll a (Chl a, 647 nm), Chl b (624 nm), bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a, 752 nm), and pheophytines. The dispersive-repulsive shift is a predominating mechanism. It depends on polarizability difference between the ground and the excited state Δα and the Lorenz-Lorentz function of refractive index of solvent (n). The approximate (± 2Å(3)) increase of polarizability Δα is close to 15Å(3) for S(1) bands of Chl a, BChl a, and BPheo a, slightly larger for Chl b (18Å(3)), and less for Pheo a (11Å(3)). The effect of solvent polarity, expressed in terms of static dielectric permittivity (ε) is relatively minor, but characteristic for different pigments and transitions. Remarkably, maximum influence of ε on S(1) band of BChl a is less (-20 ± 10 cm(-1)) than that for Chl a (-50 ± 10 cm(-1)), and not correlated with dipole moment changes on excitation Δμ (∼2D and 0.1 ± 0.1D, respectively). Hydrogen bonding in protic solvents produces red shifts in Chl a (-60 cm(-1)) and BChl a (-100 cm(-1)), but not in Chl b. Second axial ligand of BChl a has no influence on the S(1) band, whereas the S(2) transition suffers a -400 to -600 cm(-1) down shift. Aromatic character of solvent is responsible for a ∼-100 cm(-1) red shift of both Q transitions in BChl a. The S(1) bands in chlorophylls are relatively insensitive with respect to dielectric properties and specific solvation. Therefore, nontrivial mechanisms, yielding large site-energy shifts are expected in photosynthetic chlorophyll-proteins.

Water-soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP) of Arabidopsis is expressed in the gynoecium and developing silique

Water-soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP) has been found in many Brassicaceae, most often in leaves. In many cases, its expression is stress-induced, therefore, it is thought to be involved in some stress response. In this work, recombinant WSCP from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtWSCP) is found to form chlorophyll-protein complexes in vitro that share many properties with recombinant or native WSCP from Brassica oleracea, BoWSCP, including an unusual heat resistance up to 100°C in aqueous solution. A polyclonal antibody raised against the recombinant apoprotein is used to identify plant tissues expressing AtWSCP. The only plant organs containing significant amounts of AtWSCP are the gynoecium in open flowers and the septum of developing siliques, specifically the transmission tract. In fully grown but still green siliques, the protein has almost disappeared. Possible implications for AtWSCP functions are discussed.

How the molecular structure determines the flow of excitation energy in plant light-harvesting complex II

Excitation energy transfer in the light-harvesting complex II of higher plants is modeled using excitonic couplings and local transition energies determined from structure-based calculations recently (Müh et al., 2010). A theory is introduced that implicitly takes into account protein induced dynamic localization effects of the exciton wavefunction between weakly coupled optical and vibronic transitions of different pigments. Linear and non-linear optical spectra are calculated and compared with experimental data reaching qualitative agreement. High-frequency intramolecular vibrational degrees of freedom are found important for ultrafast subpicosecond excitation energy transfer between chlorophyll (Chl) b and Chla, since they allow for fast dissipation of the excess energy. The slower ps component of this transfer is due to the monomeric excited state of Chlb 605. The majority of exciton relaxation in the Chla spectral region is characterized by slow ps exciton equilibration between the Chla domains within one layer and between the lumenal and stromal layers in the 10-20ps time range. Subpicosecond exciton relaxation in the Chla region is only found within the terminal emitter domain (Chls a 610/611/612) and within the Chla 613/614 dimer. Deviations between measured and calculated exciton state life times are obtained for the intermediate spectral region between the main absorbance bands of Chla and Chlb that indicate that besides Chlb 608 another pigment should absorb there. Possible candidates, so far not identified by structure-based calculations, but by fitting of optical spectra and mutagenesis studies, are discussed. Additional mutagenesis studies are suggested to resolve this issue.

Water soluble chlorophyll binding protein of higher plants: a most suitable model system for basic analyses of pigment-pigment and pigment-protein interactions in chlorophyll protein complexes

This short review paper describes spectroscopic studies on pigment-pigment and pigment-protein interactions of chlorophyll (Chl) a and b bound to the recombinant protein of class IIa water soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP) from cauliflower. Two Chls form a strongly excitonically coupled open sandwich dimer within the tetrameric protein matrix. In marked contrast to the mode of excitonic coupling of Chl and bacterio-Chl molecules in light harvesting complexes and reaction centers of all photosynthetic organisms, the unique structural pigment array in the Chl dimer of WSCP gives rise to an upper excitonic state with a large oscillator strength. This property opens the way for thorough investigations on exciton relaxation processes in Chl-protein complexes. Lifetime measurements of excited singlet states show that the unusual stability towards photodamage of Chls bound to WSCP, which lack any protective carotenoid molecule, originates from a high diffusion barrier to interaction of molecular dioxygen with Chl triplets. Site selective spectroscopic methods provide a wealth of information on the interactions of the Chls with the protein matrix and on the vibronic structure of the pigments. The presented data and discussions illustrate the great potential of WSCP as a model system for systematic experimental and theoretical studies on the functionalizing of Chls by the protein matrix. It opens the way for further detailed analyses and a deeper understanding of the properties of pigment protein complexes.

The evolution of Photosystem II: insights into the past and future

This article attempts to address the molecular origin of Photosystem II (PSII), the central component in oxygenic photosynthesis. It discusses the possible evolution of the relevant cofactors needed for splitting water into molecular O2 with respect to the following functional domains in PSII: the reaction center (RC), the oxygen evolving complex (OEC), and the manganese stabilizing protein (MSP). Possible ancestral sources of the relevant cofactors are considered, as are scenarios of how these components may have been brought together to produce the intermediate steps in the evolution of PSII. Most importantly, the driving forces that maintained these intermediates for continued adaptation are considered. We then apply our understanding of the evolution of PSII to the bioengineering of a water oxidizing catalyst for utilization of solar energy.

Artificial photoactive proteins

Solar power is the most abundant source of renewable energy. In this respect, the goal of making photoactive proteins is to utilize this energy to generate an electron flow. Photosystems have provided the blueprint for making such systems, since they are capable of converting the energy of light into an electron flow using a series of redox cofactors. Protein tunes the redox potential of the cofactors and arranges them such that their distance and orientation are optimal for the creation of a stable charge separation. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the literature with regard to some elegant functional structures that protein designers have created by introducing cofactors and photoactivity into synthetic proteins.