Dynamics of the emission spectrum of a single LH2 complex: interplay of slow and fast nuclear motions

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.

Computational elucidations on the role of vibrations in energy transfer processes of photosynthetic complexes

Coupling between pigment excitations and nuclear movements in photosynthetic complexes is known to modulate the excitation energy transfer (EET) efficiencies. Toward providing microscopic information, researchers often apply simulation techniques and investigate how vibrations are involved in EET processes. Here, reports on such roles of nuclear movements are discussed from a theory perspective. While vibrations naturally present random thermal fluctuations that can affect energy transferring characteristics, they can also be intertwined with exciton structures and create more specific non-adiabatic energy transfer pathways. For reliable simulations, a bath model that accurately mimics a given molecular system is required. Methods for obtaining such a model in combination with quantum chemical electronic structure calculations and molecular dynamics trajectory simulations are discussed. Various quantum dynamics simulation tools that can handle pigment-to-pigment energy transfers together with their vibrational characters are also touched on. Behaviors of molecular vibrations often deviate from ideality, especially when all-atom details are included, which practically forces us to treat them classically. We conclude this perspective by considering some recent reports that suggest that classical descriptions of bath effects with all-atom details may still produce valuable information for analyzing sophisticated contributions by vibrations to EET processes.

The Relationship between the Spatial Arrangement of Pigments and Exciton Transition Moments in Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes

Considering bacteriochlorophyll molecules embedded in the protein matrix of the light-harvesting complexes of purple bacteria (known as LH2 and LH1-RC) as examples of systems of interacting pigment molecules, we investigated the relationship between the spatial arrangement of the pigments and their exciton transition moments. Based on the recently reported crystal structures of LH2 and LH1-RC and the outcomes of previous theoretical studies, as well as adopting the Frenkel exciton Hamiltonian for two-level molecules, we performed visualizations of the LH2 and LH1 exciton transition moments. To make the electron transition moments in the exciton representation invariant with respect to the position of the system in space, a system of pigments must be translated to the center of mass before starting the calculations. As a result, the visualization of the transition moments for LH2 provided the following pattern: two strong transitions were outside of LH2 and the other two were perpendicular and at the center of LH2. The antenna of LH1-RC was characterized as having the same location of the strongest moments in the center of the complex, exactly as in the B850 ring, which actually coincides with the RC. Considering LH2 and LH1 as supermolecules, each of which has excitation energies and corresponding transition moments, we propose that the outer transitions of LH2 can be important for inter-complex energy exchange, while the inner transitions keep the energy in the complex; moreover, in the case of LH1, the inner transitions increased the rate of antenna-to-RC energy transfer.

Non-Uniform Excited State Electronic-Vibrational Coupling of Pigment-Protein Complexes

Photosynthetic organisms exploit interacting quantum degrees of freedom, namely intrapigment electron-vibrational (vibronic) and interpigment dipolar couplings (J-coupling), to rapidly and efficiently convert light into chemical energy. These interactions result in wave function configurations that delocalize excitation between pigments and pigment vibrations. Our study uses multidimensional spectroscopy to compare two model photosynthetic proteins, the Fenna-Matthews Olson (FMO) complex and light harvesting 2 (LH2), and confirm that long-lived excited state coherences originate from the vibrational modes of the pigment. Within this framework, the J-coupling of vibronic pigments should have a cascading effect in modifying the structured spectral density of excitonic states. We show that FMO effectively couples all of its excitations to a uniform set of vibrations while in LH2, its two chromophore rings each couple to a unique vibrational environment. We simulate energy transfer in a simple model system with non-uniform vibrational coupling to demonstrate how modification of the vibronic coupling strength can modulate energy transfer. Because increasing vibronic coupling increases internal relaxation, strongly coupled vibronic states can act as an energy funnel, which can potentially benefit energy transport.

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.

A theoretical study on the dynamics of light harvesting in the dimeric photosystem II core complex: regulation and robustness of energy transfer pathways

Here we present our theoretical investigations into the light reaction in the dimeric photosystem II (PSII) core complex. An effective model for excitation energy transfer (EET) and primary charge separation (CS) in the PSII core complex was developed, with model parameters constructed based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulation data. Compared to experimental results, we demonstrated that this model faithfully reproduces the absorption spectra of the RC and core light-harvesting complexes (CP43 and CP47) as well as the full EET dynamics among the chromophores in the PSII core complex. We then applied master equation simulations and network analysis to investigate detailed EET plus CS dynamics in the system, allowing us to identify key EET pathways and produce a coarse-grained cluster model for the light reaction in the dimeric PSII core complex. We show that non-equilibrium energy transfer channels play important roles in the efficient light harvesting process and that multiple EET pathways exist between subunits of PSII to ensure the robustness of light harvesting in the system. Furthermore, we revealed that inter-monomer energy transfer dominated by the coupling between the two CLA625 molecules enables efficient energy exchange between two CP47s in the dimeric PSII core complex, which leads to significant energy pooling in the CP47 domain during the light reaction. Our study provides a blueprint for the design of light harvesting in the PSII core and show that a structure-based approach using molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemistry calculations can be effectively utilized to elucidate the dynamics of light harvesting in complex photosynthetic systems.

Coupling to Charge Transfer States is the Key to Modulate the Optical Bands for Efficient Light Harvesting in Purple Bacteria

The photosynthetic apparatus of purple bacteria uses exciton delocalization and static disorder to modulate the position and broadening of its absorption bands, leading to efficient light harvesting. Its main antenna complex, LH2, contains two rings of identical bacteriochlorophyll pigments, B800 and B850, absorbing at 800 and 850 nm, respectively. It has been an unsolved problem why static disorder of the strongly coupled B850 ring is several times larger than that of the B800 ring. Here we show that mixing between excitons and charge transfer states in the B850 ring is responsible for the effect. The linear absorption spectrum of the LH2 system is simulated by using a multiscale approach with an exciton Hamiltonian generalized to include the charge transfer states that involve adjacent pigment pairs, with static disorder modeled microscopically by molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that sufficient inhomogeneous broadening of the B850 band, needed for efficient light harvesting, is only obtained by utilizing static disorder in the coupling between local excited and interpigment charge transfer states.

Simulation of Femtosecond Phase-Locked Double-Pump Signals of Individual Light-Harvesting Complexes LH2

Recent phase-locked femtosecond double-pump experiments on individual light-harvesting complexes LH2 of purple bacteria at ambient temperature revealed undamped oscillatory responses on a time scale of at least 400 fs [ Hildner et al. Science 2013 , 340 , 1448 ]. Using an excitonic Hamiltonian for LH2 available in the literature, we simulate these signals numerically by a method that treats excitonic couplings and exciton-phonon couplings in a nonperturbative manner. The simulations provide novel insights into the origin of coherent dynamics in individual LH2 complexes.

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.

Simple Quantum Dynamics with Thermalization

In this paper, we introduce two simple quantum dynamics methods. One is based on the popular surface-hopping method, and the other is based on rescaling of the propagation on the bath ground-state potential surface. The first method is special, as it avoids specific feedback from the simulated quantum system to the bath and can be applied for precalculated classical trajectories. It is based on the equipartition theorem to determine if hops between different potential energy surfaces are allowed. By comparing with the formally exact Hierarchical Equations Of Motion approach for four model systems we find that the method generally approximates the quantum dynamics toward thermal equilibrium very well. The second method is based on rescaling of the nonadiabatic coupling and also neglect the effect of the state of the quantum system on the bath. By the nature of the approximations, they cannot reproduce the effect of bath relaxation following excitation. However, the methods are both computationally more tractable than the conventional fewest switches surface hopping, and we foresee that the methods will be powerful for simulations of quantum dynamics in systems with complex bath dynamics, where the system-bath coupling is not too strong compared to the thermal energy.

Apoprotein heterogeneity increases spectral disorder and a step-wise modification of the B850 fluorescence peak position

It has already been established that the quaternary structure of the main light-harvesting complex (LH2) from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a nonameric 'ring' of PucAB heterodimers and under low-light culturing conditions an increased diversity of PucB synthesis occurs. In this work, single molecule fluorescence emission studies show that different classes of LH2 'rings' are present in "low-light" adapted cells and that an unknown chaperon process creates multiple sub-types of 'rings' with more conformational sub-states and configurations. This increase in spectral disorder significantly augments the cross-section for photon absorption and subsequent energy flow to the reaction centre trap when photon availability is a limiting factor. This work highlights yet another variant used by phototrophs to gather energy for cellular development.

Light Absorption and Energy Transfer in the Antenna Complexes of Photosynthetic Organisms

The process of photosynthesis is initiated by the capture of sunlight by a network of light-absorbing molecules (chromophores), which are also responsible for the subsequent funneling of the excitation energy to the reaction centers. Through evolution, genetic drift, and speciation, photosynthetic organisms have discovered many solutions for light harvesting. In this review, we describe the underlying photophysical principles by which this energy is absorbed, as well as the mechanisms of electronic excitation energy transfer (EET). First, optical properties of the individual pigment chromophores present in light-harvesting antenna complexes are introduced, and then we examine the collective behavior of pigment-pigment and pigment-protein interactions. The description of energy transfer, in particular multichromophoric antenna structures, is shown to vary depending on the spatial and energetic landscape, which dictates the relative coupling strength between constituent pigment molecules. In the latter half of the article, we focus on the light-harvesting complexes of purple bacteria as a model to illustrate the present understanding of the synergetic effects leading to EET optimization of light-harvesting antenna systems while exploring the structure and function of the integral chromophores. We end this review with a brief overview of the energy-transfer dynamics and pathways in the light-harvesting antennas of various photosynthetic organisms.

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.

Protein Configuration Landscape Fluctuations Revealed by Exciton Transition Polarizations in Single Light Harvesting Complexes

Protein is a flexible material with broad distribution of conformations forming an energy landscape of quasi-stationary states. Disentangling the system dynamics along this landscape is the key for understanding the functioning of the protein. Here we studied a photosynthetic antenna pigment-protein complex LH2 with single molecule two-dimensional polarization imaging. Modeling based on the Redfield relaxation theory well describes the observed polarization properties of LH2 fluorescence and fluorescence excitation, strongly suggesting that at 77 K the conformational subspace of the LH2 is limited to about three configurations with relatively frequent switching among each other. At room temperature the next level of fluctuations determines the conformational dynamics. The results support the multitier model of the energy landscape of proteins and demonstrate the potential of the method for the studies of structural dynamics in proteins.

Fluorescence polarization measures energy funneling in single light-harvesting antennas--LH2 vs conjugated polymers

Numerous approaches have been proposed to mimic natural photosynthesis using artificial antenna systems, such as conjugated polymers (CPs), dendrimers, and J-aggregates. As a result, there is a need to characterize and compare the excitation energy transfer (EET) properties of various natural and artificial antennas. Here we experimentally show that EET in single antennas can be characterized by 2D polarization imaging using the single funnel approximation. This methodology addresses the ability of an individual antenna to transfer its absorbed energy towards a single pool of emissive states, using a single parameter called energy funneling efficiency (ε). We studied individual peripheral antennas of purple bacteria (LH2) and single CP chains of 20 nm length. As expected from a perfect antenna, LH2s showed funneling efficiencies close to unity. In contrast, CPs showed lower average funneling efficiencies, greatly varying from molecule to molecule. Cyclodextrin insulation of the conjugated backbone improves EET, increasing the fraction of CPs possessing ε = 1. Comparison between LH2s and CPs shows the importance of the protection systems and the protein scaffold of LH2, which keep the chromophores in functional form and at such geometrical arrangement that ensures excellent EET.

Vibronic models for nonlinear spectroscopy simulations

It is already well established that the high-frequency intramolecular vibrations are responsible for many observed dynamic phenomena in linear and nonlinear electronic spectroscopy such as the spectral lineshape formation, the transition dipole moment, the lifetime borrowing, and vibrational and mixed coherence beats. All these implications together with the vibronic enhancement of the energy and charge transfer can be explained by the vibronic molecular exciton theory and are highly relevant for the description of the spectral dynamics in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes. In this paper, a few critical points of the vibronic theory application to linear and nonlinear signals are discussed. Models, which differ in the selection and truncation of molecular basis, are compared by analyzing the energy spectrum and exciton-vibrational dynamics in the presence of the energetic disorder. The limits of the widely used one-particle approximation are defined.

Photosynthetic light harvesting: excitons and coherence

Photosynthesis begins with light harvesting, where specialized pigment-protein complexes transform sunlight into electronic excitations delivered to reaction centres to initiate charge separation. There is evidence that quantum coherence between electronic excited states plays a role in energy transfer. In this review, we discuss how quantum coherence manifests in photosynthetic light harvesting and its implications. We begin by examining the concept of an exciton, an excited electronic state delocalized over several spatially separated molecules, which is the most widely available signature of quantum coherence in light harvesting. We then discuss recent results concerning the possibility that quantum coherence between electronically excited states of donors and acceptors may give rise to a quantum coherent evolution of excitations, modifying the traditional incoherent picture of energy transfer. Key to this (partially) coherent energy transfer appears to be the structure of the environment, in particular the participation of non-equilibrium vibrational modes. We discuss the open questions and controversies regarding quantum coherent energy transfer and how these can be addressed using new experimental techniques.

Combined topographic, spectroscopic, and model analyses of inhomogeneous energetic coupling of linear light harvesting complex II aggregates in native photosynthetic membranes

Light harvesting by LH1 and LH2 antenna proteins in the photosynthetic membranes of purple bacteria has been extensively studied in recent years for the fundamental understanding of the energy transfer dynamics and mechanism. Here we report the inhomogeneous structural organization of the LH2 complexes in photosynthetic membranes, giving evidence for the existence of energetically coupled linear LH2 aggregates in the native photosynthetic membranes of purple bacteria. Focusing on systematic model analyses, we combined AFM imaging and spectroscopic analysis with energetic coupling model analysis to characterize the inhomogeneous linear aggregation of LH2. Our AFM imaging results reveal that the LH2 complexes form linear aggregates with the monomer number varying from one to eight and each monomer tilted along the aggregated structure in photosynthetic membranes. The spectroscopic results support the attribution of aggregated LH2 complexes in the photosynthetic membranes, and the model calculation values for the absorption, emission and lifetime are consistent with the experimentally determined spectroscopic values, further proving a molecular-level understanding of the energetic coupling and energy transfer among the LH2 complexes in the photosynthetic membranes.

Single-molecule spectroscopy reveals photosynthetic LH2 complexes switch between emissive states

Photosynthetic organisms flourish under low light intensities by converting photoenergy to chemical energy with near unity quantum efficiency and under high light intensities by safely dissipating excess photoenergy and deleterious photoproducts. The molecular mechanisms balancing these two functions remain incompletely described. One critical barrier to characterizing the mechanisms responsible for these processes is that they occur within proteins whose excited-state properties vary drastically among individual proteins and even within a single protein over time. In ensemble measurements, these excited-state properties appear only as the average value. To overcome this averaging, we investigate the purple bacterial antenna protein light harvesting complex 2 (LH2) from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila at the single-protein level. We use a room-temperature, single-molecule technique, the anti-Brownian electrokinetic trap, to study LH2 in a solution-phase (nonperturbative) environment. By performing simultaneous measurements of fluorescence intensity, lifetime, and spectra of single LH2 complexes, we identify three distinct states and observe transitions occurring among them on a timescale of seconds. Our results reveal that LH2 complexes undergo photoactivated switching to a quenched state, likely by a conformational change, and thermally revert to the ground state. This is a previously unobserved, reversible quenching pathway, and is one mechanism through which photosynthetic organisms can adapt to changes in light intensities.

How Quantum Coherence Assists Photosynthetic Light Harvesting

This perspective examines how hundreds of pigment molecules in purple bacteria cooperate through quantum coherence to achieve remarkable light harvesting efficiency. Quantum coherent sharing of excitation, which modifies excited state energy levels and combines transition dipole moments, enables rapid transfer of excitation over large distances. Purple bacteria exploit the resulting excitation transfer to engage many antenna proteins in light harvesting, thereby increasing the rate of photon absorption and energy conversion. We highlight here how quantum coherence comes about and plays a key role in the photosynthetic apparatus of purple bacteria.

Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes

The light-harvesting antenna systems found in photosynthetic organisms function to collect light and transfer energy in the photon to a reaction center, where electron transfer gives rise to long-term energy storage. The antenna systems found in different types of photosynthetic organisms adapt the organisms to very different photic environments, and almost certainly have been invented multiple times during evolution. The diverse collection of photosynthetic antenna systems is described in terms of their pigment and protein components and their organization in the photosystem. The Förster theory is described as the physical basis of energy transfer in photosynthetic antennas, although in many systems it is not adequate to describe energy transfer in complexes with closely interacting pigments. Regulatory aspects of antennas are described, including the process of non-photochemical quenching.

Quantum chemical description of absorption properties and excited-state processes in photosynthetic systems

The theoretical description of the initial steps in photosynthesis has gained increasing importance over the past few years. This is caused by more and more structural data becoming available for light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers which form the basis for atomistic calculations and by the progress made in the development of first-principles methods for excited electronic states of large molecules. In this Review, we discuss the advantages and pitfalls of theoretical methods applicable to photosynthetic pigments. Besides methodological aspects of excited-state electronic-structure methods, studies on chlorophyll-type and carotenoid-like molecules are discussed. We also address the concepts of exciton coupling and excitation-energy transfer (EET) and compare the different theoretical methods for the calculation of EET coupling constants. Applications to photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers based on such models are also analyzed.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in biology, chemistry, and medicine

This review describes the method of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and its applications. FCS is used for investigating processes associated with changes in the mobility of molecules and complexes and allows researchers to study aggregation of particles, binding of fluorescent molecules with supramolecular complexes, lipid vesicles, etc. The size of objects under study varies from a few angstroms for dye molecules to hundreds of nanometers for nanoparticles. The described applications of FCS comprise various fields from simple chemical systems of solution/micelle to sophisticated regulations on the level of living cells. Both the methodical bases and the theoretical principles of FCS are simple and available. The present review is concentrated preferentially on FCS applications for studies on artificial and natural membranes. At present, in contrast to the related approach of dynamic light scattering, FCS is poorly known in Russia, although it is widely employed in laboratories of other countries. The goal of this review is to promote the development of FCS in Russia so that this technique could occupy the position it deserves in modern Russian science.

Direct visualization of exciton reequilibration in the LH1 and LH2 complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides by multipulse spectroscopy

The dynamics of the excited states of the light-harvesting complexes LH1 and LH2 of Rhodobacter sphaeroides are governed, mainly, by the excitonic nature of these ring-systems. In a pump-dump-probe experiment, the first pulse promotes LH1 or LH2 to its excited state and the second pulse dumps a portion of the excited state. By selective dumping, we can disentangle the dynamics normally hidden in the excited-state manifold. We find that by using this multiple-excitation technique we can visualize a 400-fs reequilibration reflecting relaxation between the two lowest exciton states that cannot be directly explored by conventional pump-probe. An oscillatory feature is observed within the exciton reequilibration, which is attributed to a coherent motion of a vibrational wavepacket with a period of ∼150 fs. Our disordered exciton model allows a quantitative interpretation of the observed reequilibration processes occurring in these antennas.

Molecular origins and consequences of High-800 LH2 in Roseobacter denitrificans

Roseobacter denitrificans is a marine bacterium capable of using a wide variety of different metabolic schemes and in particular is an anoxygenic aerobic photosynthetic bacterium. In the work reported here we use a deletion mutant that we have constructed to investigate the structural origin of the unusual High-800 light-harvesting complex absorption in this bacterium. We suggest that the structure is essentially unaltered when compared to the usual nonameric complexes but that a change in the environment of the C(13:1) carbonyl group is responsible for the change in spectrum. We tentatively relate this change to the presence of a serine residue in the α-polypeptide. Surprisingly, the low spectral overlap between the peripheral and core light-harvesting systems appears not to compromise energy collection efficiency too severely. We suggest that this may be at the expense of maintaining a low antenna size.

Förster energy transfer theory as reflected in the structures of photosynthetic light-harvesting systems

Förster’s theory of resonant energy transfer underlies a fundamental process in nature, namely the harvesting of sunlight by photosynthetic life forms. The theoretical framework developed by Förster and others describes how electronic excitation migrates in the photosynthetic apparatus of plants, algae, and bacteria from light absorbing pigments to reaction centers where light energy is utilized for the eventual conversion into chemical energy. The demand for highest possible efficiency of light harvesting appears to have shaped the evolution of photosynthetic species from bacteria to plants which, despite a great variation in architecture, display common structural themes founded on the quantum physics of energy transfer as described first by Förster. Herein, Förster’s theory of excitation transfer is summarized, including recent extensions, and the relevance of the theory to photosynthetic systems as evolved in purple bacteria, cyanobacteria, and plants is demonstrated. Förster’s energy transfer formula, as used widely today in many fields of science, is also derived.

Parameters of the protein energy landscapes of several light-harvesting complexes probed via spectral hole growth kinetics measurements

The parameters of barrier distributions on the protein energy landscape in the excited electronic state of the pigment/protein system have been determined by means of spectral hole burning for the lowest-energy pigments of CP43 core antenna complex and CP29 minor antenna complex of spinach Photosystem II (PS II) as well as of trimeric and monomeric LHCII complexes transiently associated with the pea Photosystem I (PS I) pool. All of these complexes exhibit sixty to several hundred times lower spectral hole burning yields as compared with molecular glassy solids previously probed by means of the hole growth kinetics measurements. Therefore, the entities (groups of atoms), which participate in conformational changes in protein, appear to be significantly larger and heavier than those in molecular glasses. No evidence of a small (∼1 cm(-1)) spectral shift tier of the spectral diffusion dynamics has been observed. Therefore, our data most likely reflect the true barrier distributions of the intact protein and not those related to the interface or surrounding host. Possible applications of the barrier distributions as well as the assignments of low-energy states of CP29 and LHCII are discussed in light of the above results.

The effect of correlated bath fluctuations on exciton transfer

Excitation dynamics of various light harvesting systems have been investigated with many theoretical methods including various non-Markovian descriptions of dissipative quantum dynamics. It is typically assumed that each excited state is coupled to an independent thermal environment, i.e., that fluctuations in different environments are uncorrelated. Here the assumption is dropped and the effect of correlated bath fluctuations on excitation transfer is investigated. Using the hierarchy equations of motion for dissipative quantum dynamics it is shown for models of the B850 bacteriochlorophylls of LH2 that correlated bath fluctuations have a significant effect on the LH2→LH2 excitation transfer rate. It is also demonstrated that inclusion of static disorder is crucial for an accurate description of transfer dynamics.