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Photoelectric study on the kinetics of trapping and charge stabilization in oriented PS II membranes

  • Chloroplasts
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Abstract

Excitation energy trapping and charge separation in Photosystem II were studied by kinetic analysis of the fast photovoltage detected in membrane fragments from peas with picosecond excitation. With the primary quinone acceptor oxidized the photovoltage displayed a biphasic rise with apparent time constants of 100–300 ps and 550±50 ps. The first phase was dependent on the excitation energy whereas the second phase was not. We attribute these two phases to trapping (formation of P-680+ Phe-) and charge stabilization (formation of P-680+ QA -), respectively. A reversibility of the trapping process was demonstrated by the effect of the fluorescence quencher DNB and of artificial quinone acceptors on the apparent rate constants and amplitudes. With the primary quinone acceptor reduced a transient photoelectric signal was observed and attributed to the formation and decay of the primary radical pair. The maximum concentration of the radical pair formed with reduced QA was about 30% of that measured with oxidized QA. The recombination time was 0.8–1.2 ns.

The competition between trapping and annihilation was estimated by comparison of the photovoltage induced by short (30 ps) and long (12 ns) flashes. These data and the energy dependence of the kinetics were analyzed by a reversible reaction scheme which takes into account singlet-singlet annihilation and progressive closure of reaction centers by bimolecular interaction between excitons and the trap. To put on firmer grounds the evaluation of the molecular rate constants and the relative electrogenicity of the primary reactions in PS II, fluorescence decay data of our preparation were also included in the analysis. Evidence is given that the rates of radical pair formation and charge stabilization are influenced by the membrane potential. The implications of the results for the quantum yield are discussed.

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Abbreviations

DCBQ:

2,6-dichloro-p-benzoquinone

DCMU:

3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea

DNB:

m-dinitrobenzene

PPBQ:

phenyl-p-benzoquinone

PS I:

photosystem I of green plants

PS II:

photosystem II of green plants

PSU:

photosynthetic unit

P-680:

primary donor of PS II

Phe:

intermediary pheophytin acceptor of PS II

QA :

primary quinone acceptor of PS II

RC:

reaction center

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Osnabrück, Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie, Biophysik, Barbarastr. 11, D-4500, Osnabrück, FRG

    W. Leibl & H.-W. Trissl

  2. Service de Biophysique, Département de Biologie, Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Saclay, F-91191, Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France

    J. Breton & J. Deprez

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  1. W. Leibl
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  2. J. Breton
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  3. J. Deprez
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  4. H.-W. Trissl
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Leibl, W., Breton, J., Deprez, J. et al. Photoelectric study on the kinetics of trapping and charge stabilization in oriented PS II membranes. Photosynth Res 22, 257–275 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00048304

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