Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Brighter than the sun: Rajni Govindjee at 80 and her fifty years in photobiology

  • Tribute
  • Published:
Photosynthesis Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We celebrate distinguished photobiologist Rajni Govindjee for her pioneering research in photosynthesis and retinal proteins on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  • Balashov SP, Imasheva ES, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1991a) Quantum yield ratio of the forward and back light reactions of bacteriorhodopsin at low temperature and photo-steady state concentration of the bathoproduct K. Photochem Photobiol 54:955–961

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balashov SP, Govindjee R, Ebrey TG (1991b) Red shift of the purple membrane absorption band and the deprotonation of tyrosine residues at high pH. Biophys J 60:475–490

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balashov S, Govindjee R, Imasheva E, Misra S, Ebrey T, Feng Y, Crouch R, Menick D (1995) The two pK’s of aspartate-85 and control of thermal isomerization and proton release in the argine82 to lysine mutant of bacteriorhodopsin. Biochemistry 34:8820–8834

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balashov S, Imasheva E, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1996a) Titration of aspartate-85 in bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 70:473–481

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balashov S, Imasheva E, Govindjee R, Sheves M, Ebrey T (1996b) Evidence that aspartate-85 has a higher pK in all-trans than in 13-cis bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 71:1973–1984

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang C, Chen J, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1985a) Cation binding by bacteriorhodopsin. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 82:396–400

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang C, Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Bagley K, Dollinger G, Eisenstein L, Marque J, Roder H, Vittitow J, Fang J, Nakanishi K (1985b) Trans/13-cis isomerization is essential for both the photocycle and proton pumping of bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 47:509–512

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang C, Jonas R, Melchiore S, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1986) Mechanism and role of divalent cation binding of bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 49:731–739

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang C, Liu S, Jonas R, Govindjee R (1987) The pink membrane, the stable photoproduct of deionized purple membrane. Biophys J 52:617–623

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang C, Jonas R, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1988) Regeneration of blue and purple membranes from deionized bleached membranes of Halobacterium halobium. Photochem Photobiol 47:261–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crouch R, Scott R, Ghent S, Govindjee R, Chang C, Ebrey T (1986) Properties of synthetic bacteriorhodopsin pigments: further probes of the chromophore binding site. Photochem Photobiol 43:297–303

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dancshazy Zs, Govindjee R, Nelson B, Ebrey T (1986) A new intermediate in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin. FEBS Lett 209:44–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dancshazy Zs, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1988) Independent photocycles of the spectrally distinct forms of bacteriorhodopsin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:6358–6361

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ebrey T, Govindjee R, Honig B, Pollock E, Chan W, Crouch R, Yudd A, Nakanishi K (1975) The properties of several sterically modified retinal analogues and their photosensitive pigments. Biochemistry 14:3933–3941

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee, Govindjee R (1965) Two different manifestations of enhancement in the photosynthesis of Porphyridium cruentum in flashing monochromatic light. Photochem Photobiol 4:401–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee, Govindjee R (1974) Primary events in photosynthesis. Sci Am 231:68–82

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee, Rabinowitch E (1960) Two forms of chlorophyll a in vivo with distinct photochemical functions. Science 132:159–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1986) Light emission from bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin. In: Govindjee, Amesz J, Fork DC (eds) Light emission by plants and bacteria. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Sybesma C (1972) The photoreduction of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide by chromatophore fractions from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Biophys J 12:897–908

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Thomas JB, Rabinowitch E (1960) Second Emerson effect in the Hill reaction of Chlorella cells with quinone as oxidant. Science 132:421

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Govindjee, Hoch G (1962) The Emerson enhancement effect in TPN-photoreduction by spinach chloroplasts. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 9:222–225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Govindjee, Hoch G (1964) Emerson enhancement effect in chloroplast reactions. Plant Physiol 39:10–14

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Rabinowitch E, Govindjee (1968) Maximum quantum yield and action spectra of photosynthesis and fluorescence in Chlorella. Biochim Biophys Acta 162:530–544

    Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Smith WR Jr, Govindjee (1974) Interaction of viologen dyes with chromatophores and reaction-center preparations from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Photochem Photobiol 20:191–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Becher B, Ebrey T (1978) The fluorescence from the chromophore of the purple membrane protein. Biophys J 22:67–77

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Crofts A (1980) The quantum efficiency of proton pumping by the purple membrane protein of Halobacterium halobium. Biophys J 30:231–242

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Dancshazy Zs, Ebrey TG, Longstaff C, Rando RR (1988a) Photochemistry of methylated rhodopsins. Photochem Photobiol 48:493–496

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Dancshazy Zs, Ebrey T, Longstaff C, Rando R (1988b) Photochemistry of monomethylated and permethylated bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 54:557–562

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Dancshazy Zs, Ebrey T (1989) Difference spectra of the later intermediates of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. SPIE Biomol Spectrosc 1–57:126–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Balashov S, Ebrey T (1990) Quantum efficiency of the photochemical cycle of bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 58:597–608

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Lukashev E, Kono M, Balashov S, Ebrey T, Soppa J, Tittor J, Oesterhelt D (1992) DTyr57Asn mutant of bacteriorhodopsin: M formation and spectral transformations at high pH. Struct Funct Retin Proteins 221:115–118

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Kono M, Balashov S, Imasheva E, Sheves M, Ebrey T (1995) Effect of substitution of tyrosine 57 with asparagine and phenylalanine on the properties of bacteriorhodopsin. Biochemistry 34:4828–4838

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Misra S, Balashov S, Ebrey T, Crouch R, Menick D (1996) Arginine-82 regulates the pK of the group responsible for the light-driven proton release in bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 71:1011–1023

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Govindjee R, Imasheva ES, Misra S, Balashov S, Ebrey T, Chen N, Menick D, Crouch R (1997) Mutation of a surface residue, lysine129, reverses the order of proton release and uptake in bacteriorhodopsin; guanidine hydrochloride restores it. Biophys J 72:886–898

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuwata O, Yuan C, Misra S, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (2001) Kinetics and pH dependence of light-induced deprotonation of the Schiff base of rhodopsin: possible coupling to proton uptake and formation of the active form of Meta II. Biochem (Moscow) 66:1283–1299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Q, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1984) A correlation between proton pumping and the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:7079–7082

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liang J, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1993) Metarhodospin intermediates of the Gecko cone pigment P521. Biochemistry 32:14187–14193

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin S, Ormos P, Eisenstein L, Govindjee R, Konno K, Nakanishi K (1987) Deprotonation of tyrosines in bacteriorhodopsin as studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with deuterium and nitrate labeling. Biochemistry 26:8327–8331

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mao B, Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Arnaboldi M, Balogh-Nair V, Nakanishi K, Crouch R (1981) Photochemical and functional properties of bacteriorhodopsins formed from 5,6-dihydro- and 5,6-dihydrodesmethylretinals. Biochemistry 20:428–435

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Misra S, Balashov S, Ebrey T, Crouch R, Menick D (1996) Arginine 82 regulates the pKa of the group responsible for the light-driven proton release in bacteriorhodopsin. Biophys J 71:1011–1023

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Misra S, Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Chen N, Ma J, Crouch R (1997) Proton uptake and release are rate-limiting steps in the photocycle of the bacteriorhodopsin mutant E204Q. Biochemistry 36:4875–4883

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakanishi K, Yudd A, Crouch R, Olson G, Cheung H, Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Patel D (1976) Allenic retinals and their visual pigment analogues. J Am Chem Soc 48:236–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schiffmiller R, Callender R, Waddell W, Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Kakitani H, Honig B, Nakanishi K (1985) Resonance Raman studies of bacteriorhodopsin analogues. Photochem Photobiol 41:563–567

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tokunaga F, Govindjee R, Ebrey T, Crouch R (1977) Synthetic pigment analogues of the purple membrane protein. Biophys J 19:191–198

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tsuda M, Govindjee R, Ebrey T (1983) Effects of pressure and temperature on the M412 intermediate of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. Biophys J 44:249–254

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I thank Govindjee for supplying all the information on Rajni’s early work on photosynthesis, Burr Nelson for advice, and Sergei Balashov and Suyi Liu for the photos of Rajni.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA

    Thomas Ebrey

Authors
  1. Thomas Ebrey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Ebrey.

Additional information

This manuscript was edited and approved for publication by Barbara Demmig-Adams. She added “This tribute is a well-deserved celebration of Rajni’s many accomplishments. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Rajni”. This tribute was also read by Sergei and Ella Balashov, Rajni’s collaborators for many years; they added “This is a heart warming story of accomplished life in science, especially of someone dear to us; we were participants and witnesses of Rajni’s unique qualities and her pure goodness. It is a true masterpiece on the Urbana lab of the author (Tom Ebrey)”.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ebrey, T. Brighter than the sun: Rajni Govindjee at 80 and her fifty years in photobiology. Photosynth Res 124, 1–5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-015-0106-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-015-0106-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation