Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A comparative study of the optical characteristics of intact cells of photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria containing bacteriochlorophyll c, d or e

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

Abstract

Energy transfer and pigment arrangement in intact cells of the green sulfur bacteria Prosthecochloris aestuarii, Chlorobium vibrioforme and chlorobium phaeovibrioides, containing bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c, d or e as main light harvesting pigment, respectively, were studied by means of absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism and linear dichroism spectroscopy at low temperature. The results indicate a very similar composition of the antenna in the three species and a very similar structure of main light harvesting components, the chlorosome and the membrane-bound BChl a protein. In all three species the Qy transition dipoles of BChl c, d or e are oriented approximately parallel to the long axis of the chlorosome. Absorption and fluorescence excitation spectra demonstrate the presence of at least two BChl c-e pools in the chlorosomes of all three species, long-wavelength absorbing BChls being closest to the membrane. In C. phaeovibrioides, energy from BChl e is transferred with an efficiency of 25% to the chlorosomal BChl a at 6 K, whereas the efficiency of transfer from BChl e to the BChl a protein is 10%. These numbers are compatible with the hypothesis that the chlorosomal BChl a is an intermediary in the energy transfer from the chlorosome to the membrane.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BChl:

bacteriochlorophyll

Chl:

chlorophyll

CD:

circular dichroism

LD:

linear dichroism

References

  • Amesz, J (1990) Antenna systems of green bacteria and heliobacteria. In: Baltscheffsky, M (ed) Current Research in Photosynthesis, Vol 2, pp 25–31. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobe, FW, Pfennig, N, Swanson, KL and Smith, KM (1990) Red shift of absorption maxima in Chlorobiineae through enzymic methylation of their antenna bacteriochlorophylls. Biochemistry 29: 4340–4348

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braumann, T, Vasmel, H, Grimme, LH and Amesz, J (1986) Pigment composition of the photosynthetic membrane and reaction center of the green bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii. Biochim Biophys Acta 848: 83–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Brune, DC, Gerola, PD and Olson, JM (1990) Circular dichroism of green bacterial chlorosomes. Photosynth Res 24: 253–263

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, RK (1963) Absorption spectra of photosynthetic bacteria and their chlorophylls. In: Gest, H, San Pietro, A and Vernon, LP (eds) Bacterial Photosynthesis, pp 495–500. The Antioch Press, Yellow Springs, Ohio

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetisova, ZG, Freiberg, AM and Timpmann, KE (1987) Investigations by picosecond polarized fluorescence spectrochronography of structural aspects of energy transfer in living cells of the green bacterium Chlorobium limicola. FEBS Lett 223: 161–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fetisova, ZG, Kharchenko, SG and Abdourakhmanov, IA (1986) Strong orientational ordering of near-infrared transition moment vectors of light-harvesting antenna bacterioviridin in chromatophores of the green photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium limicola. FEBS Lett 199: 234–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, CF, Gray, BH, Nugent, NA and Fuller, RC (1973) Absorbance and fluorescence properties of the bacteriochlorophyll a reaction center complex and bacteriochlorophyll a protein in green bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 292: 692–699

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerola, PD and Olson, JM (1986) A new bacteriochlorophyll a protein complex associated with chlorosomes of green sulfur bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 848: 69–76

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glazer, AN (1984) Phycobilisome. A macromolecular complex optimized for light energy transfer. Biochim Biophys Acta 768: 29–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Gloe, A, Pfennig, N, BrockmannJr., H and Trowitzsch, W (1975) A new bacteriochlorophyll from brown-colored Chlorobiaceae. Arch Microbiol 102: 103–109

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holt, SC, Conti, SF and Fuller, RC (1966) Photosynthetic apparatus in the green bacterium Chloropseudomonas ethylicum. J Bacteriol 91: 311–323

    Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurt, EC and Hauska, G (1984) Purification of membranebound cytochromes and a photoactive P840 protein complex of the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium limicola f. thiosulfatophilum. FEBS Lett 168: 149–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karapetyan, NV, Swarthoff, T, Rijgersberg, CP and Amesz, J (1980) Fluorescence emission spectra of cells and subcellular preparations of a green photosynthetic bacterium. Biochim Biophys Acta 593: 254–260

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, HJM and Amesz, J (1982) Anisotropy of the emission and absorption bands of spinach chloroplasts measured by fluorescence polarization and polarized excitation spectra at low temperature. Biochim Biophys Acta 682: 201–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, HJM, Kingma, H, Swarthoff, T and Amesz, J (1982) Prompt and delayed fluorescence in pigment-protein complexes of a green photosynthetic bacterium. Biochim Biophys Acta 681: 359–364

    Google Scholar 

  • Liaaen-Jensen, S (1965) Bacterial carotenoids; XVIII. Arylcarotenes from Phaeobium. Acta Chem Scand 19: 1025–1030

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nuijs, AM, Vasmel, H, Joppe, HLP, Duysens, LNM and Amesz, J (1985) Excited states and primary charge separation in the pigment system of the green photosynthetic bacterium Prostecochloris aestuarii as studied by picosecond absorbance difference spectroscopy. Biochim Biophys Acta 807: 24–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, JM (1978) Confused history of Chloropseudomonas ethylica 2K. Int J Syst Bacteriol 28: 128–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, JM, Ke, B and Thompson, KH (1976) Exciton interaction among chlorophyll molecules in bacteriochlorophyll a proteins and bacteriochlorophyll a reaction center complexes from green bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 430: 524–537

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olson, JM, Philipson, KD and Sauer, K (1973) Circular dichroism and absorption spectra of bacteriochlorophyll-protein and reaction center complexes from Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum. Biochim Biophys Acta 292: 206–217

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rijgersberg, CP, VanGrondelle, R and Amesz, J (1980) Energy transfer and bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence in purple bacteria at low temperature. Biochim Biophys Acta 592: 53–64

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, K (1978) Biosynthesis of carotenoids. In: Clayton, RK and Sistrom, WR (eds) The Photosynthetic Bacteria, pp 729–750. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shibata, K (1958) Spectrophotometry of intact biological materials. Absolute and relative measurements of their transmission, reflection and absorption spectra. J Biochem 45: 599–623

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprague, SG and Varga, AR (1986) Membrane architecture of anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. In: Staehelin, LA and Arntzen, CJ (eds) Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, new series, Vol. 19, Photosynthesis III, pp 603–619. Springer Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Staehelin, LA, Golecki, JR and Drews, G (1980) Supramolecular organization of chlorosomes (chlorobium vesicles) and of their membrane attachment sites in Chlorobium limicola. Biochim Biophys Acta 589: 30–45

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swarthoff, T and Amesz, J (1979) Photochemically active pigment-protein complexes from the green photosynthetic bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii. Biochim Biophys Acta 548: 427–432

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swarthoff, T, Amesz, J, Kramer, HJM and Rijgersberg, CP (1981) The reaction center and antenna pigments of green photosynthetic bacteria. Isr J Chem 21: 332–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Swarthoff, T, DeGrooth, BG, Meiburg, RF, Rijgersberg, CP and Amesz, J (1980) Orientation of pigments and pigment-protein complexes in the green photosynthetic bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii. Biochim Biophys Acta 593: 51–59

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Dorssen RJ (1988) Doctoral Thesis, State University of Leiden

  • VanDorssen, RJ and Amesz, J (1988) Pigment organization and energy transfer in the green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus. III. Energy transfer in whole cells. Photosynth Res 15: 177–189

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasmel, H, Swarthoff, T, Kramer, HJM and Amesz, J (1983) Isolation and properties of a pigment-protein complex associated with the reaction center of the photosynthetic sulfur bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii. Biochim Biophys Acta 725: 361–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasmel, H, VanDorssen, RJ, DeVos, GJ and Amesz, J (1986) Pigment organization and energy transfer in the green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus; I. The cytoplasmic membrane. Photosynth Res 7: 281–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner-Huber, R, Brunisholz, R, Frank, G and Zuber, H (1988) The BChl c/e-binding polypeptides from chlorosomes of green photosynthetic bacteria. FEBS Lett 239: 8–12

    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 

  • Whitten, WB, Olson, JM and Pearlstein, RM (1980) Sevenfold exciton splitting of the 810-nm band in bacteriochlorophyll a proteins from green photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 591: 203–207

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics, Huygens Laboratory of the State University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Stephan C. M. Otte, Jos C. van der Heiden & Jan Amesz

  2. Fakultät für Biologie, Universität Konstanz, D-7750, Konstanz 1, Germany

    Norbert Pfennig

Authors
  1. Stephan C. M. Otte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jos C. van der Heiden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Norbert Pfennig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jan Amesz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Otte, S.C.M., van der Heiden, J.C., Pfennig, N. et al. A comparative study of the optical characteristics of intact cells of photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria containing bacteriochlorophyll c, d or e . Photosynth Res 28, 77–87 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033717

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033717

Key words

Search

Navigation