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Circular dichroism of green bacterial chlorosomes

Photosynthesis Research volume 24, pages 253–263 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

Positive and negative bands in previously measured circular dichroism (CD) spectra of Chlorobium limicola chlorosomes appeared to be sign-reversed relative to those of Chloroflexus aurantiacus chlorosomes in the 740–750 nm spectral region where bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c absorbs maximally. It was not clear, however, whether this difference was intrinsic to the chlorosomes or was due to differences in the procedures used to prepare them. We therefore repeated the CD measurements using chlorosomes isolated from both Cb. limicola f. thiosulfatophilum and Cf. aurantiacus using the method of Gerola and Olson (1986, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 848: 69–76). Contrary to the earlier results, both types of chlorosomes had very similar CD spectra, suggesting that both have similar arrangements of BChl c molecules. The previously reported difference between the CD spectra of Chlorobium and Chloroflexus chlorosomes is due to the instability of Chlorobium chlorosomes, which can undergo a hypsochromic shift in their near infrared absorption maximum accompanied by an apparent inversion in their near infrared CD spectrum during isolation. Treating isolated chlorosomes with the strong ionic detergent sodium dodecylsulfate, which removes BChl a, does not alter the arrangement of BChl c molecules in either Chloroflexus or Chlorobium chlorosomes, as indicated by the lack of an effect on their CD spectra.

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Abbreviations

BChl:

bacteriochlorophyll

Cb. :

Chlorobium

CD:

circular dichroism

Cf. :

Chloroflexus

NIR:

near infrared

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Daniel C. Brune

    Present address: Department of Chemistry and Center for the Study of Early Events in Photosynthesis, Arizona State University, 85287-1604, Tempe, AZ, USA

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemistry, Odense University, Campusvej 55, DK 5230, Odense M, Denmark

    Daniel C. Brune & John M. Olson

  2. Dipartimento di Ecologia, Universita della Calabria, Accavata di Rende, (Cosenza), Italy

    Paolo D. Gerola

Authors
  1. Daniel C. Brune
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  2. Paolo D. Gerola
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  3. John M. Olson
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Brune, D.C., Gerola, P.D. & Olson, J.M. Circular dichroism of green bacterial chlorosomes. Photosynth Res 24, 253–263 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032313

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032313

Key words

  • Bacteriochlorophyll c
  • Chlorobium limicola f. thiosulfatophilum
  • Chloroflexus aurantiacus
  • Chlorosomes
  • Circular dichroism
  • Photosynthetic antennas