Skip to main content
Log in

Hole burning study of excited state structure and energy transfer dynamics of bacteriochlorophyll c in chlorosomes of green sulphur photosynthetic bacteria

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
Photosynthesis Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Results of low temperature fluorescence and spectral hole burning experiments with whole cells and isolated chlorosomes of the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium limicola containing BChl c are reported. At least two spectral forms of BChl c (short-wavelength and long-wavelength absorbing BChl c) were identified in the second derivative fluorescence spectra. The widths of persistent holes burned in the fluorescence spectrum of BChl c are determined by excited state lifetimes due to fast energy transfer. Different excited state lifetimes for both BChl c forms were observed. A site distribution function of the lowest excited state of chlorosomal BChl c was revealed. The excited state lifetimes are strongly influenced by redox conditions of the solution. At anaerobic conditions the lifetime of 5.3 ps corresponds to the rate of energy transfer between BChl c clusters. This time shortens to 2.6 ps at aerobic conditions. The shortening may be caused by introducing a quencher. Spectral bands observed in the fluorescence of isolated chlorosomes were attributed to monomeric and lower state aggregates of BChl c. These forms are not functionally connected with the chlorosome.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BChl:

bacteriochlorophyll

EET:

electronic energy transfer

FWHM:

full width at half maximum

SDF:

site distribution function

RC:

reaction centre

References

  • Avarmaa RA and Rebane KK (1988) Zero phonon lines in spectra of chlorophyll-like molecules in low-temperature solid matrices (in Russian). Usp Fiz Nauk 154: 433–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Blankenship RE, Cheng P, Causgrove PT, Brune DC, Wang SH, Chon J and Wang J (1993) Redox regulation of energy transfer efficiency in antennas of green photosynthetic bacteria. Photochem Photobiol 37: 103–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Brune DC, Nozawa T and Blankenship RE (1987) Antenna organization in green photosynthetic bacteria. 1. Oligomeric bacteriochlorophyll c as a model for the 740 nm absorting bacteriochlorophyll c in Chloroflexus aurantiacus chlorosomes. Biochemistry 26: 8644–8652

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Causgrove TP, Brune DC, Wang J, Wittmershaus BP and Blankenship RE (1990) Energy transfer in whole cells and isolated chlorosomes of green photosynthetic bacteria. Photosynth Res 26: 39–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Causgrove TP, Brune DC and Blankenship RE (1992) Förster energy transfer in chlorosomes of green photosynthetic bacteria. J Photochem Photobiol 15: 171–179

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dian J, Adamec F, Ambro\>z M, P\>sen\>cík J, Vácha M and Hála J (1993) Low temperature optical spectroscopy of natural porphyrins. J Mol Struc 293: 177–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorssen RJ, Gerola PD, Olson JM and Amesz J (1986) Optical and structural properties of chlorosomes of the photosynthetic green sulphur bacterium Chlorobium limicold. Biochim Biophys Acta 848: 77–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Feick RG and Fuller RC (1984) Topography of the photosynthetic apparatus of Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Biochemistry 23: 3693–3700

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetisova ZG and Mauring K (1992) Experimental evidence of oligomeric organization of antenna bacteriochlorophyll c in green bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus by spectral hole burning. FEBS Lett. 307: 371–374

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fetisova ZG and Mauring K (1993) Spectral hole burning study of intact cells of green bacterium Chlorobium limicold. FEBS Lett. 323: 159–162

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerola PD and Olson JM (1986) A new bacteriochlorophyll a-protein complex associated with chlorosomes of green sulphur bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 848: 69–70

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gillbro T, Yinzhong M, Feldshtein F, Babin A and Miller M (1993) Ultrafast energy transfer kinetics in photosynthetic membranes of Chloroflexus aurantiacus. EMBO Workshop on Green and Heliobacteria, Nyborg, Denmark, 1993, Abstracts p. 4.

  • Griebenow K, Holzwarth AR, VanMourik F and VanGrondelle R (1991) Pigment organization and energy transfer in green bacteria 2. Circular and linear dichroism spectra of protein-containing and protein free chlorosomes isolated from Chloroflexus aurantiacus strain Ok-70-f1. Biochim Biophys Acta 1058: 194–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzwarth AR, Müller MG and Griebenow K (1990) A photosynthetic antenna system which contains a protein-free chromophore aggregate. Z Naturforsch 45c: 203–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzwarth AR, Griebenow K and Schaffner K (1992) Chlorosomes, photosynthetic antennae with novel self-organized pigment structures. J. Photochem Photobiol 65: 61–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holzwarth AR, Müller MG and Griebenow K (1990) Picosecond energy transfer kinetics between pools in different preparations of chlorosomes from the green bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus Ok-70-f1. J Photochem Photobiol 5: 457–465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin S, VanAmerongen H and Struve WS (1991) Ultrafast pumpprobe spectroscopy of bacteriochlorophyll c antenna in bacteriochlorophyll a-containing chlorosomes from the green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Biochim Biophys Acta 1060: 13–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsuura K and Olson JM (1990) Reversible conversion of aggregated bacteriochlorophyll c to the monomeric form by 1-hexanol in chlorosomes from Chlorobium and Chloroflexus. Biochim Biophys Acta 1019: 233–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsuura K, Hirota M, Shimada M and Mimuro M (1993) Spectral forms and orientation of bacteriochlorophylls c and a in chlorosomes of green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Photochem Photobiol 57: 92–97

    Google Scholar 

  • McRae G and Kasha M (1958) Enhancement of phosphorescence ability upon aggregation of dye molecules. J Chem Phys 28: 721–722

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller M, Gilbro T and Olson JM (1993) Aqueous aggregates of bacteriochlorophyll c as a model for pigment organization in chlorosomes. Photochem Photobiol 57: 98–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Mimuro M, Nozawa T, Tamai N, Shimada K, Yamazaki I, Lin S, Knox RS, Wittmershaus BP, Brune DC and Blankenship RE (1989) Excitation energy flow in chlorosomes of greenphotosynthetic bacteria. J Phys Chem 93: 7503–7509

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelter JA and Mead R (1965) A Simplex method for function minimization. The Computer J7: 308–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Niedermeier G, Scheer H and Feick G (1992) The functional role of protein in the organization of bacteriochlorophyll c in chlorosomes of Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Eur J Biochem 204: 685–692

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olson JM aznd Pedersen JP (1988) Bacteriochlorophyll c aggregates in carbon tetrachloride as models for chlorophyll organization in green photosynthetic bacteria. In: Scheer H and Schneider S (eds), Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Systems, pp 365–373, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Otte SCM, Van DerHeiden JC, Pfennig N and Amesz J (1991) A comparative study of the optical characteristic of intact cells of photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria containing bacteriochlorophyll c,d or e. Photosynth Res 28: 77–87

    Google Scholar 

  • P\>sen\>cík J, Vácha M, Adamec F, Ambro\>z M, Diam J, Bocek J and Hála J (1993) Fast energy transfer in green photosynthetic bacteria Chlorobium limicola studied by spectral hole burning. J Mol Struc 294: 135–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talon H, Orrit M and Bernard J (1990) Model for burning kinetics and shape of fluence-saturated spectral holes. Chem Phys 140: 177–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uehara K and Olson JM (1992) Aggregation of bacteriochlorophyll c homologs to dimers, tetramers and polymers in water-saturated carbon tetrachloride. Photosynth Res 33: 251–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Vácha M, Adamec F, Ambro\>z M, Dian J and Hála J (1991) Spectral properties of antenna pigment-protein complexes studied by hole-burning spectroscopy. J Lumin 53: 279–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vácha M, P\>sen\>cík J, Adamec F, Ambro\>z M, Dian J, Nedbal L and Hála J (1994) Site directed study of excited energy transfer in photosynthetic antenna by hole burning in fluorescence spectra. J. Lumin. 60 & 61: 523–526

    Google Scholar 

  • VanAmerongen H, Vasmel H and VanGrondelle R (1988) Linear dichroism of chlorosomes from Chloroflexus aurantiacus in compressed gels and electric fields. Biophys J 54: 65–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Van derLaan H, Schmidt Th., Visschers RW, Visscher KJ, VanGrondelle R and Völker S (1990) Energy transfer in the B800–850 antenna complex of purple bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides: a study by spectral hole-burning. Chem Phys Lett 170: 231–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VanMourik F, Visschers RW and VanGrondelle R (1992) Energy transfer and aggregates size effects in the inhomogeneously broadened core light harvesting complex of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Chem Phys Lett 119: 1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vos M, Nuijs AM, VanGrondelle R, VanDorssen RJ, Gerola PD and Amesz J (1987) Excitation transfer in chlorosomes of green photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 891: 275–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Völker S (1989) Hole-burning spectroscopy. Annu Rev Phys Chem 40: 499–530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Brune DC and Blankenship RE (1990) Effects of oxidants and reductants on the efficiency of excitation transfer in green photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 1015: 457–463

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

P\>sen\>cík, J., Vácha, M., Adamec, F. et al. Hole burning study of excited state structure and energy transfer dynamics of bacteriochlorophyll c in chlorosomes of green sulphur photosynthetic bacteria. Photosynth Res 42, 1–8 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019052

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019052

Key words

Navigation