B-Side Electron Transfer Promoted by Absorbance of Multiple Photons in Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 Reaction Centers

Downhill excitation energy flow in reaction centers of purple bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum G9

Using femtosecond differential spectroscopy, excitation energy transfer in reaction centers (RCs) of the carotenoidless strain of purple bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum G9 was studied at room temperature. Excitation and probing of the Qy, Qx and Soret absorption bands of the RCs were carried out by pulses with duration of 25-30 fs. Modeling of ΔA (light - dark) kinetics made it possible to estimate the characteristic time of various stages of excitation energy transformation. It is shown that the dynamics of the downhill energy flow in the RCs is determined both by the internal energy conversion Soret→ Qx → Qy in each cofactor and by the energy transfer H* → B* → P* (H - bacteriopheophytin, B - bacteriochlorophyll a, P - bacteriochlorophyll a dimer) between cofactors. The transfer of energy between the upper excited levels (Soret and Qx) of the cofactors accelerates its arrival to the lower exciton level of the P, from where charge separation begins. It turned out that all conversion and energy transfer processes occur within 40-160 fs: the conversion Soret → Qx occurs in 40-50 fs, the conversion Qx → Qy occurs in 100-140 fs, the transfer H* → B* has a time constant of 80-120 fs, and the transfer B* → P* has a time constant of 130-160 fs. The rate of energy transfer between the upper excited levels is close to the rate of transfer between Qy levels.

The rate of Q(x)→Q(y) relaxation in bacteriochlorophylls of reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides determined by kinetics of the ultrafast carotenoid bandshift

Transient absorption changes induced by excitation of isolated reaction centers (RCs) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides with 600nm laser pulses of 20fs (full width at half maximum) were monitored in the wavelength region of 420-560nm. The spectral features of the spectrum obtained are characteristic for an electrochromic band shift of the single carotenoid (Car) molecule spheroidene, which is an integral constituent of these RCs. This effect is assigned to an electrochromic bandshift of Car due to the local electric field of the dipole moment formed by electronic excitation of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) molecule(s) in the neighborhood of Car. Based on the known distances between the pigments, the monomeric BChl (B(B)) in the inactive B-branch is inferred to dominate this effect. The excitation of B(B) at 600nm leads to a transition into the S(2) state (Q(x) band), which is followed by rapid internal conversion to the S(1) state (Q(y) band), thus leading to a change of strength and orientation of the dipole moment, i.e., of the electric field acting on the Car molecule. Therefore, the time course of the electrochromic bandshift reflects the rate of the internal conversion from S(2) to S(1) of B(B). The evaluation of the kinetics leads to a value of 30fs for this relaxation process. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial.

Excitation and electron transfer in reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides probed and analyzed globally in the 1-nanosecond temporal window from 330 to 700 nm

Global analysis of a set of room temperature transient absorption spectra of Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction centers, recorded in wide temporal and spectral ranges and triggered by femtosecond excitation of accessory bacteriochlorophylls at 800 nm, is presented. The data give a comprehensive review of all spectral dynamics features in the visible and near UV, from 330 to 700 nm, related to the primary events in the Rb. sphaeroides reaction center: excitation energy transfer from the accessory bacteriochlorophylls (B) to the primary donor (P), primary charge separation between the primary donor and primary acceptor (bacteriopheophytin, H), and electron transfer from the primary to the secondary electron acceptor (ubiquinone). In particular, engagement of the accessory bacteriochlorophyll in primary charge separation is shown as an intermediate electron acceptor, and the initial free energy gap of approximately 40 meV, between the states P(+)B(A)(-) and P(+)H(A)(-) is estimated. The size of this gap is shown to be constant for the whole 230 ps lifetime of the P(+)H(A)(-) state. The ultrafast spectral dynamics features recorded in the visible range are presented against a background of results from similar studies performed for the last two decades.

Environmental control of primary photochemistry in a mutant bacterial reaction center

The core structure of the photosynthetic reaction center is quasisymmetric with two potential pathways (called A and B) for transmembrane electron transfer. Both the pathway and products of light-induced charge separation depend on local electrostatic interactions and the nature of the excited states generated at early times in reaction centers isolated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Here transient absorbance measurements were recorded following specific excitation of the Q(y)() transitions of P (the special pair of bacteriochlorophylls), the monomer bacteriochlorophylls (B(A) and B(B)), or the bacteriopheophytins (H(A) and H(B)) as a function of both buffer pH and detergent in a reaction center mutant with the mutations L168 His to Glu and L170 Asn to Asp in the vicinity of P and B(B). At a low pH in any detergent, or at any pH in a nonionic detergent (Triton X-100), the photochemistry of this mutant is faster than, but similar to, wild type (i.e. electron transfer occurs along the A-side, 390 nm excitation is capable of producing short-lived B-side charge separation (B(B)(+)H(B)(-)) but no long-lived B(B)(+)H(B)(-) is observed). Certain buffering conditions result in the stabilization of the B-side charge separated state B(B)(+)H(B)(-), including high pH in the zwitterionic detergent LDAO, even following excitation with low energy photons (800 or 740 nm). The most striking result is that conditions giving rise to stable B-side charge separation result in a lack of A-side charge separation, even when P is directly excited. The mechanism that links B(B)(+)H(B)(-) stabilization to this change in the photochemistry of P in the mutant is not understood, but clearly these two processes are linked and highly sensitive to the local electrostatic environment produced by buffering conditions (pH and detergent).

The effect of exchange of bacteriopheophytin a with plant pheophytin a on charge separation in Y(M210)W mutant reaction centers of Rhodobacter sphaeroides at low temperature

The bacteriopheophytin a molecules at the H(A) and H(B) binding sites of reaction centers (RCs) of the Y(M210)W mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides were chemically exchanged with plant pheophytin a. The Y(M210)W mutation slows down the formation of H(A)(-), presumably by raising the free energy level of the P(+)B(A)(-) state above that of P* due to increasing the oxidation potential of the primary electron donor P and lowering the reduction potential of the accessory bacteriochlorophyll B(A). Exchange of the bacteriopheophytins with pheophytin a on the contrary lowers the redox potential of H(A), inhibiting its reduction. A combination of the mutation and pigment exchange was therefore expected to make the A-side of the RC incapable of electron transfer and cause the excited state P* to deactivate directly to the ground state or through the B-side, or both. Time-resolved absorption difference spectroscopy at 10 K on the RCs that were modified in this way showed a lifetime of P* lengthened to about 500 ps as compared to about 200 ps measured in the original Y(M210)W RCs. We show that the decay of P* in the pheophytin-exchanged preparations is accompanied by both return to the ground state and formation of a new charge-separated state, the absorption difference spectrum of which is characterized by bleachings at 811 and 890 nm. This latter state was formed with a time constant of ca. 1.7 ns and a yield of about 30%, and lasted a few nanoseconds. On the basis of spectroscopic observations these bands at 811 and 890 nm are tentatively attributed to the presence of the P(+)B(B)(-) state, where B(B) is the accessory bacteriochlorophyll in the "inactive" B-branch of the cofactors. The B(B) molecules in Y(M210)W RCs are suggested to be spectrally heterogeneous, absorbing in the Q(y) region at 813 or 806 nm. The results are discussed in terms of perturbation of the free energy level of the P(+)B(B)(-) state and absorption properties of the B(B) bacteriochlorophyll in the mutant RCs due to a long-range effect of the Y(M210)W mutation on the protein environment of the B(B) binding pocket.

Reaction centres of purple bacteria

The bacterial reaction centre is undoubtedly one of the most heavily studied electron transfer proteins and, as this article has tried to describe, it has made some unique contributions to our understanding of biological electron transfer and coupled protonation reactions, and has provided fascinating information in areas that concern basic properties such as protein heterogeneity and protein dynamics. Despite intensive study, much remains to be learned about how this protein catalyses the conversion of solar energy into a form that can be used by the cell. In particular, the dynamic roles played by the protein are still poorly understood. The wide range of time-scales over which the reaction centre catalyses electron transfer, and the relative ease with which electron transfer can be triggered and monitored, will ensure that the reaction centre will continue to be used as a laboratory for testing ideas about the nature of biological electron transfer for many years to come.