Direct observation of tiers in the energy landscape of a chromoprotein: a single-molecule study

High-Resolution Frequency-Domain Spectroscopic and Modeling Studies of Photosystem I (PSI), PSI Mutants and PSI Supercomplexes

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.

Access to the Antenna System of Photosystem I via Single-Molecule Excitation-Emission Spectroscopy

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.

Identification of Residues Potentially Involved in Optical Shifts in the Water-Soluble Chlorophyll a-Binding Protein through Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Reversible light and thermally induced spectral shifts are universally observed in a wide variety of pigment-protein complexes at temperatures ranging from cryogenic to ambient. In this paper, we employed large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a prototypical pigment-protein complex to better understand these shifts at a molecular scale. Although multiple mechanisms have been proposed over the years, no verification of these proposals via MD simulations has thus far been performed; our work represents the first step in this direction. From simulations of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein complex, we determined that rearrangements of long hydrogen bonds were unlikely to be the origin of the multiwell landscape features necessary to explain observed spectral shifts. We also assessed small motions of amino acid residues and identified side chain rotations of some of these residues as likely candidates for the origin of relevant multiwell landscape features. The protein free-energy landscapes associated with side chain rotations feature energy barriers of around 1100-1600 cm-1, in agreement with optical spectroscopy results, with the most promising residue type associated with experimental signatures being serine, which possesses a symmetric triple-well landscape and moment of inertia of a relevant magnitude.

Wavelength-Dependent Optical Response of Single Photosynthetic Antenna Complexes from Siphonous Green Alga Codium fragile

The siphonaxanthin-siphonein-Chl-a/b-protein (SCP) complex from the siphonous green alga Codium fragile is the major light-harvesting complex (LHC) of these alga and is highly homologous to that of green plants (trimeric pigment-protein complex, LHCII). Interestingly, we find remarkable differences in the spectral response from individual SCP complexes when excited at 561 and 639 nm. While excitation in the green spectral range reproduces the common LHCII-like emission features for most of the complexes, excitation in the red spectral range yields a red-shifted emission and a significant reduction of the fluorescence decay time. We hypothesize that the difference in spectral response of SCP to light in the green and red spectral ranges can be associated with the adaption of the algae to their natural habitat under water, where sudden intensity changes are diminished, and excess light features a red-enhanced spectrum that comes at tidal timings.

Preprocess dependence of optical properties of ensembles and single siphonaxanthin-containing major antenna from the marine green alga Codium fragile

The siphonaxanthin-siphonein-Chl-a/b-protein (SCP) is the light-harvesting complex of the marine alga Codium fragile. Its structure resembles that of the major light-harvesting complexes of higher plants, LHC II, yet it features a reversed Chl a:Chl b ratio and it accommodates other variants of carotenoids. We have recorded the fluorescence emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes from ensembles and single SCP complexes for three different scenarios of handling the samples. While the data obtained from ensembles of SCP complexes yield equivalent results, those obtained from single SCP complexes featured significant differences as a function of the sample history. We ascribe this discrepancy to the different excitation intensities that have been used for ensemble and single complex spectroscopy, and conclude that the SCP complexes undergo an aging process during storage. This process is manifested as a lowering of energetic barriers within the protein, enabling thermal activation of conformational changes at room temperature. This in turn leads to the preferential population of a red-shifted state that features a significant decrease of the fluorescence lifetime.

Monitoring tautomerization of single hypericin molecules in a tunable optical λ/2 microcavity

Hypericin tautomerization that involves the migration of the labile protons is believed to be the primary photophysical process relevant to its light-activated antiviral activity. Despite the difficulty in isolating individual tautomers, it can be directly observed in single-molecule experiments. We show that the tautomerization of single hypericin molecules in free space is observed as an abrupt flipping of the image pattern accompanied with fluorescence intensity fluctuations, which are not correlated with lifetime changes. Moreover, the study can be extended to a λ/2 Fabry-Pérot microcavity. The modification of the local photonic environment by a microcavity is well simulated with a theoretical model that shows good agreement with the experimental data. Inside a microcavity, the excited state lifetime and fluorescence intensity of single hypericin molecules are correlated, and a distinct jump of the lifetime and fluorescence intensity reveals the temporal behavior of the tautomerization with high sensitivity and high temporal resolution. The observed changes are also consistent with time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Our approach paves the way to monitor and even control reactions for a wider range of molecules at the single molecule level.

Cryogenic Single-Molecule Spectroscopy of the Primary Electron Acceptor in the Photosynthetic Reaction Center

The photosynthetic reaction center (RC) converts light energy into electrochemical energy. The RC of heliobacteria (hRC) is a primitive homodimeric RC containing 58 bacteriochlorophylls and 2 chlorophyll as. The chlorophyll serves as the primary electron acceptor (Chl a-A₀) responsible for light harvesting and charge separation. The single-molecule spectroscopy of Chl a-A₀ can be used to investigate heterogeneities of the RC photochemical function, though the low fluorescence quantum yield (0.1%) makes it difficult. Here, we show the fluorescence excitation spectroscopy of individual Chl a-A₀s in single hRCs at 6 K. The fluorescence quantum yield and absorption cross section of Chl a-A₀ increase 2- and 4-fold, respectively, compared to those at room temperature. The two Chl a-A₀s in single hRCs are identified as two distinct peaks in the fluorescence excitation spectrum, exhibiting different excitation polarization dependences. The spectral changes caused by photobleaching indicate the energy transfer across subunits in the hRC.

Room-Temperature Excitation-Emission Spectra of Single LH2 Complexes Show Remarkably Little Variation

Excitation spectroscopy gives direct insight into the excited state manifold, energy transfer, transient intermediates, vibrations, and so on. Unfortunately, excitation spectroscopy of single molecules under ambient conditions has remained challenging. Here we present excitation spectra alongside emission spectra of the same individual light-harvesting complex LH2 of the purple bacteria Rps. acidophila. The acquisition of both the excited and ground state spectra allows us to quantify disorder and interband correlations, which are key variables for the interpretation of observed long-lasting coherences. We have overcome the low photostability and small fluorescence quantum yield that are inherent to many biologically relevant systems by combining single-molecule Fourier transform spectroscopy, low excitation intensities, and effective data analysis. We find that LH2 complexes show little spectral variation (130-170 cm^-1), that their two absorption bands (B800-B850) are uncorrelated, and that the Stokes shift is not constant. The low amount of spectral disorder underlines the protective role of the protein scaffold, benefiting the efficient energy transport throughout the light-harvesting membrane.

Evidence of Simultaneous Spectral Hole Burning Involving Two Tiers of the Protein Energy Landscape in Cytochrome b6f

Cytochrome b₆f, with one chlorophyll molecule per protein monomer, is a simple model system whose studies can help achieve a better understanding of nonphotochemical spectral hole burning (NPHB) and single-complex spectroscopy results obtained in more complicated photosynthetic chlorophyll-protein complexes. We are reporting new data and proposing an alternative explanation for spectral dynamics that was recently observed in cytochrome b₆f using NPHB. The relevant distribution of the tunneling parameter λ is a superposition of two components that are nearly degenerate in terms of the resultant NPHB yield and represent two tiers of the energy landscape responsible for NPHB. These two components likely burn competitively; we present the first demonstration of modeling a competitive NPHB process. Similar values of the NPHB yield result from distinctly different combinations of barrier heights, shifts along the generalized coordinate d, and/or masses of the entities involved in conformational changes m, with md² parameter different by a factor of 2.7. Consequently, in cytochrome b₆f, the first (at least) 10 h of fixed-temperature recovery preferentially probe different components of the barrier- and λ-distributions encoded into the spectral holes than thermocycling experiments. Both components most likely represent dynamics of the protein and not of the surrounding buffer/glycerol glass.

Influence of Hydrogen Bonds on the Electron-Phonon Coupling Strength/Marker Mode Structure and Charge Separation Rates in Reaction Centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Low-temperature persistent and transient hole-burning (HB) spectra are presented for the triple hydrogen-bonded L131LH + M160LH + M197FH mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. These spectra expose the heterogeneous nature of the P-, B-, and H-bands, consistent with a distribution of electron transfer (ET) times and excitation energy transfer (EET) rates. Transient P⁺Q_A^- holes are observed for fast (tens of picoseconds or faster) ET times and reveal strong coupling to phonons and marker mode(s), while the persistent holes are bleached in a fraction of reaction centers with long-lived excited states characterized by much weaker electron-phonon coupling. Exposed differences in electron-phonon coupling strength, as well as a different coupling to the marker mode(s), appear to affect the ET times. Both resonantly and nonresonantly burned persistent HB spectra show weak blue- (∼150 cm^-1) and large, red-shifted (∼300 cm^-1) antiholes of the P band. Slower EET times from the H- and B-bands to the special pair dimer provide new insight on the influence of hydrogen bonds on mutation-induced heterogeneity.

How Well Does the Hole-Burning Action Spectrum Represent the Site-Distribution Function of the Lowest-Energy State in Photosynthetic Pigment-Protein Complexes?

For the first time, we combined Monte Carlo and nonphotochemical hole burning (NPHB) master equation approaches to allow for ultrahigh-resolution (<0.005 cm^-1, smaller than the typical homogeneous line widths at 5 K) simulations of the NPHB spectra of dimers and trimers of interacting pigments. These simulations reveal significant differences between the zero-phonon hole (ZPH) action spectrum and the site-distribution function (SDF) of the lowest-energy state. The NPHB of the lowest-energy pigment, following the excitation energy transfer (EET) from the higher-energy pigments which are excited directly, results in the shifts of all excited states. These shifts affect the ZPH action spectra and EET times derived from the widths of the spectral holes burned in the donor-dominated regions. The effect is present for a broad variety of realistic antihole functions, and it is maximal at relatively low values of interpigment coupling (V ≤ 5 cm^-1) where the use of the Förster approximation is justified. These findings need to be considered in interpreting various optical spectra of photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes for which SDFs (describing the inhomogeneous broadening) are often obtained directly from the ZPH action spectra. Water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) was considered as an example.

Microsecond and millisecond dynamics in the photosynthetic protein LHCSR1 observed by single-molecule correlation spectroscopy

Biological systems are subjected to continuous environmental fluctuations, and therefore, flexibility in the structure and function of their protein building blocks is essential for survival. Protein dynamics are often local conformational changes, which allows multiple dynamical processes to occur simultaneously and rapidly in individual proteins. Experiments often average over these dynamics and their multiplicity, preventing identification of the molecular origin and impact on biological function. Green plants survive under high light by quenching excess energy, and Light-Harvesting Complex Stress Related 1 (LHCSR1) is the protein responsible for quenching in moss. Here, we expand an analysis of the correlation function of the fluorescence lifetime by improving the estimation of the lifetime states and by developing a multicomponent model correlation function, and we apply this analysis at the single-molecule level. Through these advances, we resolve previously hidden rapid dynamics, including multiple parallel processes. By applying this technique to LHCSR1, we identify and quantitate parallel dynamics on hundreds of microseconds and tens of milliseconds timescales, likely at two quenching sites within the protein. These sites are individually controlled in response to fluctuations in sunlight, which provides robust regulation of the light-harvesting machinery. Considering our results in combination with previous structural, spectroscopic, and computational data, we propose specific pigments that serve as the quenching sites. These findings, therefore, provide a mechanistic basis for quenching, illustrating the ability of this method to uncover protein function.

Impact of Single-Point Mutations on the Excitonic Structure and Dynamics in a Fenna-Matthews-Olson Complex

Hole burning (HB) spectroscopy and modeling studies reveal significant changes in the excitonic structure and dynamics in several mutants of the FMO trimer from the Chlorobaculum tepidum. The excited-state decay times ( T₁) of the high-energy excitons are significantly modified when mutation occurs near bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) 1 (V152N mutant) or BChl 6 (W184F). Longer (averaged) T₁ times of highest-energy excitons in V152N and W184F mutants suggest that site energies of BChls 1 and 6, believed to play an important role in receiving excitation from the baseplate BChls, likely play a critical role to ensure the femtosecond (fs) energy relaxation observed in wild-type FMO. HB spectroscopy reveals preferentially slower T₁ times (about 1 ps on average) because fs times prohibit HB due to an extremely low HB quantum yield. Uncorrelated (incoherent) excitation energy transfer times between monomers, the composition of exciton states, and average, frequency-dependent, excited-state decay times ( T₁) are discussed.

Selective Removal of B800 Bacteriochlorophyll a from Light-Harvesting Complex 2 of the Purple Photosynthetic Bacterium Phaeospirillum molischianum

The selective removal of B800 bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a from light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) in purple photosynthetic bacteria is a clue about elucidation of the mechanism for the transfer of energy from these pigments to B850 BChl a and their roles in the LH2 protein structure. We demonstrated that the kinetics of the removal of B800 BChl a from two representative LH2 proteins derived from Phaeospirillum molischianum and Rhodoblastus acidophilus differed significantly, in contrast to the calculated binding enthalpy. These results may be interpreted as changes in the local structure near B800 BChl a with respect to the geometries of the original crystal structures upon removal of B800 BChl a. Despite the difficulty of removing B800 BChl a from molischianum-LH2, we prepared the molischianum-LH2 protein lacking B800 BChl a by combination of two detergents, n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside and n-octyl β-d-glucoside, under acidic conditions. Spectral and atomic force microscopy analyses indicated that the absence of B800 BChl a had little effect on the local structure in the vicinity of B850 BChl a and the circular arrangement in this protein. These results suggest that the hydrophobic domain near B850 BChl a is rigid and plays a major role in the structural formation of molischianum-LH2.

Excitonic Energy Landscape of the Y16F Mutant of the Chlorobium tepidum Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) Complex: High Resolution Spectroscopic and Modeling Studies

We report high-resolution (low-temperature) absorption, emission, and nonresonant/resonant hole-burned (HB) spectra and results of excitonic calculations using a non-Markovian reduced density matrix theory (with an improved algorithm for parameter optimization in heterogeneous samples) obtained for the Y16F mutant of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) trimer from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum. We show that the Y16F mutant is a mixture of FMO complexes with three independent low-energy traps (located near 817, 821, and 826 nm), in agreement with measured composite emission and HB spectra. Two of these traps belong to mutated FMO subpopulations characterized by significantly modified low-energy excitonic states. Hamiltonians for the two major subpopulations (Sub₈₂₁ and Sub₈₁₇) provide new insight into extensive changes induced by the single-point mutation in the vicinity of BChl 3 (where tyrosine Y16 was replaced with phenylalanine F16). The average decay time(s) from the higher exciton state(s) in the Y16F mutant depends on frequency and occurs on a picosecond time scale.

Role of missing carotenoid in reducing the fluorescence of single monomeric photosystem II core complexes

The fluorescence of monomeric photosystem II core complexes (mPSIIcc) of the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus, originating from redissolved crystals, is investigated by using single-molecule spectroscopy (SMS) at 1.6 K. The emission spectra of individual mPSIIcc are dominated by sharp zero-phonon lines, showing the existence of different emitters compatible with the F685, F689, and F695 bands reported formerly. The intensity of F695 is reduced in single mPSIIcc as compared to single PSIIcc-dimers (dPSIIcc). Crystal structures show that one of the β-carotene (β-Car) cofactors located at the monomer-monomer interface in dPSIIcc is missing in mPSIIcc. This β-Car in dPSIIcc is in van der Waals distance to chlorophyll (Chl) 17 in the CP47 subunit. We suggest that this Chl contributes to the F695 emitter. A loss of β-Car cofactors in mPSIIcc preparations will lead to an increased lifetime of the triplet state of Chl 17, which can explain the reduced singlet emission of F695 as observed in SMS.

Robust light harvesting by a noisy antenna

Photosynthetic light harvesting can be very efficient in solar energy conversion while taking place in a highly disordered and noisy physiological environment. This efficiency is achieved by the ultrafast speed of the primary photosynthetic processes, which is enabled by a delicate interplay of quantum effects, thermodynamics and environmental noise. The primary processes take place in light-harvesting antennas built from pigments bound to a fluctuating protein scaffold. Here, we employ ultrafast single-molecule spectroscopy to follow fluctuations of the femtosecond energy transfer times in individual LH2 antenna complexes of purple bacteria. By combining single molecule results with ensemble spectroscopy through a unified theoretical description of both, we show how the protein fluctuations alter the excitation energy transfer dynamics. We find that from the thirteen orders of magnitude of possible timescales from picoseconds to minutes, the relevant fluctuations occur predominantly on a biological timescale of seconds, i.e. in the domain of slow protein motion. The measured spectra and dynamics can be explained by the protein modulating pigment excitation energies only. Moreover, we find that the small spread of pigment mean energies allows for excitation delocalization between the coupled pigments to survive. These unique features provide fast energy transport even in the presence of disorder. We conclude that this is the mechanism that enables LH2 to operate as a robust light-harvester, in spite of its intrinsically noisy biological environment.

Contribution of low-temperature single-molecule techniques to structural issues of pigment-protein complexes from photosynthetic purple bacteria

As the electronic energies of the chromophores in a pigment-protein complex are imposed by the geometrical structure of the protein, this allows the spectral information obtained to be compared with predictions derived from structural models. Thereby, the single-molecule approach is particularly suited for the elucidation of specific, distinctive spectral features that are key for a particular model structure, and that would not be observable in ensemble-averaged spectra due to the heterogeneity of the biological objects. In this concise review, we illustrate with the example of the light-harvesting complexes from photosynthetic purple bacteria how results from low-temperature single-molecule spectroscopy can be used to discriminate between different structural models. Thereby the low-temperature approach provides two advantages: (i) owing to the negligible photobleaching, very long observation times become possible, and more importantly, (ii) at cryogenic temperatures, vibrational degrees of freedom are frozen out, leading to sharper spectral features and in turn to better resolved spectra.

Probing Energy Landscapes of Cytochrome b6f with Spectral Hole Burning: Effects of Deuterated Solvent and Detergent

In non-photochemical spectral hole burning (NPHB) and spectral hole recovery experiments, cytochrome b₆f protein exhibits behavior that is almost independent of the deuteration of the buffer/glycerol glassy matrix containing the protein, apart from some differences in heat dissipation. On the other hand, strong dependence of the hole burning properties on sample preparation procedures was observed and attributed to a large increase of the electron-phonon coupling and shortening of the excited-state lifetime occurring when n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside (DM) is used as a detergent instead of n-octyl β-d-glucopyranoside (OGP). The data was analyzed assuming that the tunneling parameter distribution or barrier distribution probed by NPHB and encoded into the spectral holes contains contributions from two nonidentical components with accidentally degenerate excited state λ-distributions. Both components likely reflect protein dynamics, although with some small probability one of them (with larger md²) may still represent the dynamics involving specifically the -OH groups of the water/glycerol solvent. Single proton tunneling in the water/glycerol solvent environment or in the protein can be safely excluded as the origin of observed NPHB and hole recovery dynamics. The intensity dependence of the hole growth kinetics in deuterated samples likely reflects differences in heat dissipation between protonated and deuterated samples. These differences are most probably due to the higher interface thermal resistivity between (still protonated) protein and deuterated water/glycerol outside environment.

Conformational Complexity in the LH2 Antenna of the Purple Sulfur Bacterium Allochromatium vinosum Revealed by Hole-Burning Spectroscopy

This work discusses the protein conformational complexity of the B800-850 LH2 complexes from the purple sulfur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum, focusing on the spectral characteristics of the B850 chromophores. Low-temperature B850 absorption and the split B800 band shift blue and red, respectively, at elevated temperatures, revealing isosbestic points. The latter indicates the presence of two (unresolved) conformations of B850 bacteriochlorophylls (BChls), referred to as conformations 1 and 2, and two conformations of B800 BChls, denoted as B800_R and B800_B. The energy differences between average site energies of conformations 1 and 2, and B800_R and B800_B are similar (∼200 cm^-1), suggesting weak and strong hydrogen bonds linking two major subpopulations of BChls and the protein scaffolding. Although conformations 1 and 2 of the B850 chromophores, and B800_R and B800_B, exist in the ground state, selective excitation leads to 1 → 2 and B800_R → B800_B phototransformations. Different static inhomogeneous broadening is revealed for the lowest energy exciton states of B850 (fwhm ∼195 cm^-1) and B800_R (fwhm ∼140 cm^-1). To describe the 5 K absorption spectrum and the above-mentioned conformations, we employ an exciton model with dichotomous protein conformation disorder. We show that both experimental data and the modeling study support a two-site model with strongly and weakly hydrogen-bonded B850 and B800 BChls, which under illumination undergo conformational changes, most likely caused by proton dynamics.

Toward an Understanding of the Excitonic Structure of the CP47 Antenna Protein Complex of Photosystem II Revealed via Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Identification of the lowest energy pigments in the photosynthetic CP47 antenna protein complex of Photosystem II (PSII) is essential for understanding its excitonic structure, as well as excitation energy pathways in the PSII core complex. Unfortunately, there is no consensus concerning the nature of the low-energy state(s), nor chlorophyll (Chl) site energies in this important photosynthetic antenna. Although we raised concerns regarding the estimations of Chl site energies obtained from modeling studies of various types of CP47 optical spectra [Reinot, T; et al., Anal. Chem. Insights 2016, 11, 35-48] recent new assignments imposed by the shape of the circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectrum [Hall, J.; et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2016, 1857, 1580-1593] necessitate our comments. We demonstrate that other combinations of low-energy Chls provide equally good or improved simultaneous fits of various optical spectra (absorption, emission, CPL, circular dichroism, and nonresonant hole-burned spectra), but more importantly, we expose the heterogeneous nature of the recently studied complexes and argue that the published composite nature of the CPL (contributed to by CPL₆₈₅, CPL₆₉₁, and CPL₆₉₅) does not represent an intact CP47 protein. A positive CPL₆₉₅ is extracted for the intact protein, which, when simultaneously fitted with multiple other optical spectra, provides new information on the excitonic structure of intact and destabilized CP47 complexes and their lowest energy state(s).

Inhomogeneous ensembles of radical pairs in chemical compasses

The biophysical basis for the ability of animals to detect the geomagnetic field and to use it for finding directions remains a mystery of sensory biology. One much debated hypothesis suggests that an ensemble of specialized light-induced radical pair reactions can provide the primary signal for a magnetic compass sensor. The question arises what features of such a radical pair ensemble could be optimized by evolution so as to improve the detection of the direction of weak magnetic fields. Here, we focus on the overlooked aspect of the noise arising from inhomogeneity of copies of biomolecules in a realistic biological environment. Such inhomogeneity leads to variations of the radical pair parameters, thereby deteriorating the signal arising from an ensemble and providing a source of noise. We investigate the effect of variations in hyperfine interactions between different copies of simple radical pairs on the directional response of a compass system. We find that the choice of radical pair parameters greatly influences how strongly the directional response of an ensemble is affected by inhomogeneity.

Conformational switching in a light-harvesting protein as followed by single-molecule spectroscopy

Among the ultimate goals of protein physics, the complete, experimental description of the energy paths leading to protein conformational changes remains a challenge. Single protein fluorescence spectroscopy constitutes an approach of choice for addressing protein dynamics, and, among naturally fluorescing proteins, light-harvesting (LH) proteins from purple bacteria constitute an ideal object for such a study. LHs bind bacteriochlorophyll a molecules, which confer on them a high intrinsic fluorescence yield. Moreover, the electronic properties of these pigment-proteins result from the strong excitonic coupling between their bound bacteriochlorophyll a molecules in combination with the large energetic disorder due to slow fluctuations in their structure. As a result, the position and probability of their fluorescence transition delicately depends on the precise realization of the disorder of the set of bound pigments, which is governed by the LH protein dynamics. Analysis of these parameters using time-resolved single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy thus yields direct access to the protein dynamics. Applying this technique to the LH2 protein from Rhodovulum (Rdv.) sulfidophilum, the structure—and consequently the fluorescence properties—of which depends on pH, allowed us to follow a single protein, pH-induced, reversible, conformational transition. Hence, for the first time, to our knowledge, a protein transition can be visualized through changes in the electronic structure of the intrinsic cofactors, at a level of a single LH protein, which opens a new, to our knowledge, route for understanding the changes in energy landscape that underlie protein function and adaptation to the needs of living organisms.

Effects of pressure on the dynamics of an oligomeric protein from deep-sea hyperthermophile

Inorganic pyrophosphatase (IPPase) from Thermococcus thioreducens is a large oligomeric protein derived from a hyperthermophilic microorganism that is found near hydrothermal vents deep under the sea, where the pressure is up to 100 MPa (1 kbar). It has attracted great interest in biophysical research because of its high activity under extreme conditions in the seabed. In this study, we use the quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) technique to investigate the effects of pressure on the conformational flexibility and relaxation dynamics of IPPase over a wide temperature range. The β-relaxation dynamics of proteins was studied in the time ranges from 2 to 25 ps, and from 100 ps to 2 ns, using two spectrometers. Our results indicate that, under a pressure of 100 MPa, close to that of the native environment deep under the sea, IPPase displays much faster relaxation dynamics than a mesophilic model protein, hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL), at all measured temperatures, opposite to what we observed previously under ambient pressure. This contradictory observation provides evidence that the protein energy landscape is distorted by high pressure, which is significantly different for hyperthermophilic (IPPase) and mesophilic (HEWL) proteins. We further derive from our observations a schematic denaturation phase diagram together with energy landscapes for the two very different proteins, which can be used as a general picture to understand the dynamical properties of thermophilic proteins under pressure.

Conformational Memory of a Protein Revealed by Single-Molecule Spectroscopy

Proteins are supramolecular machines that carry out a wide range of different functions, many of which require flexibility. Up until now spontaneous conformational fluctuations of proteins have always been assumed to reflect a stochastic random process. However, if changing between different conformational states was random, then it would be difficult to understand how conformational control of protein function could have evolved. Here we demonstrate that a single protein can show conformational memory. This is exactly the process that can facilitate the evolution of control of switching between two conformational states that can then be used to regulate protein function.

Optimal Energy Transfer in Light-Harvesting Systems

Photosynthesis is one of the most essential biological processes in which specialized pigment-protein complexes absorb solar photons, and with a remarkably high efficiency, guide the photo-induced excitation energy toward the reaction center to subsequently trigger its conversion to chemical energy. In this work, we review the principles of optimal energy transfer in various natural and artificial light harvesting systems. We begin by presenting the guiding principles for optimizing the energy transfer efficiency in systems connected to dissipative environments, with particular attention paid to the potential role of quantum coherence in light harvesting systems. We will comment briefly on photo-protective mechanisms in natural systems that ensure optimal functionality under varying ambient conditions. For completeness, we will also present an overview of the charge separation and electron transfer pathways in reaction centers. Finally, recent theoretical and experimental progress on excitation energy transfer, charge separation, and charge transport in artificial light harvesting systems is delineated, with organic solar cells taken as prime examples.

Singlet-triplet annihilation in single LHCII complexes

In light harvesting complex II (LHCII) of higher plants and green algae, carotenoids (Cars) have an important function to quench chlorophyll (Chl) triplet states and therefore avoid the production of harmful singlet oxygen. The resulting Car triplet states lead to a non-linear self-quenching mechanism called singlet-triplet (S-T) annihilation that strongly depends on the excitation density. In this work we investigated the fluorescence decay kinetics of single immobilized LHCIIs at room temperature and found a two-exponential decay with a slow (3.5 ns) and a fast (35 ps) component. The relative amplitude fraction of the fast component increases with increasing excitation intensity, and the resulting decrease in the fluorescence quantum yield suggests annihilation effects. Modulation of the excitation pattern by means of an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) furthermore allowed us to resolve the time-dependent accumulation and decay rate (∼7 μs) of the quenching species. Inspired by singlet-singlet (S-S) annihilation studies, we developed a stochastic model and then successfully applied it to describe and explain all the experimentally observed steady-state and time-dependent kinetics. That allowed us to distinctively identify the quenching mechanism as S-T annihilation. Quantitative fitting resulted in a conclusive set of parameters validating our interpretation of the experimental results. The obtained stochastic model can be generalized to describe S-T annihilation in small molecular aggregates where the equilibration time of excitations is much faster than the annihilation-free singlet excited state lifetime.

Monte Carlo Modeling of Spectral Diffusion Employing Multiwell Protein Energy Landscapes: Application to Pigment-Protein Complexes Involved in Photosynthesis

We are reporting development and initial applications of the light-induced and thermally induced spectral diffusion modeling software, covering nonphotochemical spectral hole burning (NPHB), hole recovery, and single-molecule spectroscopy and involving random generation of the multiwell protein energy landscapes. The model includes tunneling and activated barrier-hopping in both ground and excited states of a protein-chromophore system. Evolution of such a system is predicted by solving the system of rate equations. Using the barrier parameters from the range typical for the energy landscapes of the pigment-protein complexes involved in photosynthesis, we (a) show that realistic cooling of the sample must result in proteins quite far from thermodynamic equilibrium, (b) demonstrate hole evolution in the cases of burning, fixed-temperature recovery and thermocycling that mostly agrees with the experiment and modeling based on the NPHB master equation, and (c) explore the effects of different protein energy landscapes on the antihole shape. Introducing the multiwell energy landscapes and starting the hole burning experiments in realistic nonequilibrium conditions are not sufficient to explain all experimental observations even qualitatively. Therefore, for instance, one is required to invoke the modified NPHB mechanism where a complex interplay of several small conformational changes is poising the energy landscape of the pigment-protein system for downhill tunneling.

Variation of exciton-vibrational coupling in photosystem II core complexes from Thermosynechococcus elongatus as revealed by single-molecule spectroscopy

The spectral properties and dynamics of the fluorescence emission of photosystem II core complexes are investigated by single-molecule spectroscopy at 1.6 K. The emission spectra are dominated by sharp zero-phonon lines (ZPLs). The sharp ZPLs are the result of weak to intermediate exciton-vibrational coupling and slow spectral diffusion. For several data sets, it is possible to surpass the effect of spectral diffusion by applying a shifting algorithm. The increased signal-to-noise ratio enables us to determine the exciton-vibrational coupling strength (Huang-Rhys factor) with high precision. The Huang-Rhys factors vary between 0.03 and 0.8. The values of the Huang-Rhys factors show no obvious correlation between coupling strength and wavelength position. From this result, we conclude that electrostatic rather than exchange or dispersive interactions are the main contributors to the exciton-vibrational coupling in this system.

Open quantum system parameters for light harvesting complexes from molecular dynamics

We elucidate the difference between various parameter extraction methods and demonstrate sensitivity to molecular dynamics equilibration.

Unified analysis of ensemble and single-complex optical spectral data from light-harvesting complex-2 chromoproteins for gaining deeper insight into bacterial photosynthesis

Bacterial light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes are very efficient at converting photons into excitons and transferring them to reaction centers, where the energy is stored in a chemical form. Optical properties of the complexes are known to change significantly in time and also vary from one complex to another; therefore, a detailed understanding of the variations on the level of single complexes and how they accumulate into effects that can be seen on the macroscopic scale is required. While experimental and theoretical methods exist to study the spectral properties of light-harvesting complexes on both individual complex and bulk ensemble levels, they have been developed largely independently of each other. To fill this gap, we simultaneously analyze experimental low-temperature single-complex and bulk ensemble optical spectra of the light-harvesting complex-2 (LH2) chromoproteins from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila in order to find a unique theoretical model consistent with both experimental situations. The model, which satisfies most of the observations, combines strong exciton-phonon coupling with significant disorder, characteristic of the proteins. We establish a detailed disorder model that, in addition to containing a C_{2}-symmetrical modulation of the site energies, distinguishes between static intercomplex and slow conformational intracomplex disorders. The model evaluations also verify that, despite best efforts, the single-LH2-complex measurements performed so far may be biased toward complexes with higher Huang-Rhys factors.

On the Controversial Nature of the 825 nm Exciton Band in the FMO Protein Complex

The nature of the low-energy 825 nm band of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) protein complex from Chlorobaculum tepidum at 5 K is discussed. It is shown, using hole-burning (HB) spectroscopy and excitonic calculations, that the 825 nm absorption band of the FMO trimer cannot be explained by a single electronic transition or overlap of electronic transitions of noninteracting pigments. To explain the shape of emission and nonresonant HB spectra, downward uncorrelated excitation energy transfer (EET) between trimer subunits should be taken into account. Modeling studies reveal the presence of three sub-bands within the 825 nm band, in agreement with nonresonant HB and emission spectra. We argue that after light induced coherences vanish, uncorrelated EET between the lowest exciton levels of each monomer takes place. HB induced spectral shifts provide a new insight on the energy landscape of the FMO protein.

Effect of TMAO and betaine on the energy landscape of photosystem I

The accumulation of organic co-solvents in cells is a basic strategy for organisms from various species to increase stress tolerance in extreme environments. Widespread representatives of this class of co-solvents are trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and betaine; these small molecules are able to stabilize the native conformation of proteins and prevent their aggregation. Despite their importance, detailed experimental studies on the impact of these co-solvents on the energy landscape of proteins have not yet been carried out. We use single-molecule spectroscopy at cryogenic temperatures to examine the influence of these physiological relevant co-solvents on photosystem I (PSI) from Thermosynechococcus elongatus. In contrast to PSI ensemble spectra, which are almost unaffected by the addition of TMAO and betaine, statistical analysis of the fluorescence emission from individual PSI trimers yields insight into the interaction of the co-solvents with PSI. The results show an increased homogeneity upon addition of TMAO or betaine. The number of detectable zero-phonon lines (ZPLs) is reduced, indicating spectral diffusion processes with faster rates. In the framework of energy landscape model these findings indicate that co-solvents lead to reduced barrier heights between energy valleys, and thus efficient screening of protein conformations can take place.

A spectroscopic study of structural heterogeneity and carbon monoxide binding in neuroglobin

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a small globular protein that binds diatomic ligands like oxygen, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide at a heme prosthetic group. We have performed FTIR spectroscopy in the infrared stretching bands of CO and flash photolysis with monitoring in the electronic heme absorption bands to investigate structural heterogeneity at the active site of Ngb and its effects on CO binding and migration at cryogenic temperatures. Four CO stretching bands were identified; they correspond to discrete conformations that differ in structural details and CO binding properties. Based on a comparison of bound-state and photoproduct IR spectra of the wild-type protein, Ngb distal pocket mutants and myoglobin, we have provided structural interpretations of the conformations associated with the different CO bands. We have also studied ligand migration to the primary docking site, B. Rebinding from this site is governed by very low enthalpy barriers (∼1 kJ/mol), indicating an extremely reactive heme iron. Moreover, we have observed ligand migration to a secondary docking site, C, from which CO rebinding involves higher enthalpy barriers.