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The formation and characterization of the in vitro polymeric aggregates of bacteriochlorophyllc homologs fromChlorobium limicola in aqueous suspension in the presence of monogalactosyl diglyceride

  • Group 5: Chlorosomes and Pigments
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Abstract

Artificial aggregates of bacteriochlorophyllc (BChlc) were formed in an aqueous medium in the presence of a lipid, monogalactosyl diglyceride (MGDG), and the optical properties of those aggregates were studied by absorption and circular dichroism (CD) mainly. Four BChlc homologs, ([E,E]BChlc F, [P,E]BChlc F, [E,M]BChlc F and [I,E]BChlc F), were isolated from the green photosynthetic bacteriumChlorobium limicola strain 6230. Above 0.0004%, MGDG induced a red-shift of the absorption maxima of BChlc aggregates. At 0.003% MGDG BChlc aggregates showed absorption maxima in the range of 724 to 745 (±3) nm with a shift of 12 to 24 (±3) nm depending on the homolog species. Four kinds of BChlc-MGDG aggregates showed characteristic CD spectra. [E,M]BChlc F gave rise to a CD spectrum similar to that of chlorosomes, while the other three gave spectra of opposite sign. These aggregates are sensitive to 1-hexanol treatment; in a saturating amount (0.85%) of 1-hexanol, all the homologs gave a monomer-like absorption spectrum peaking at 670nm. At an intermediate concentration (0.5%), [E,M]BChlc F showed an enhanced CD intensity, as observed in native chlorosomes. Resonance Raman spectra of the monomer-like BChlc samples indicated that the keto vibrational band at ca. 1640 cm−1 was considerably weakened by the 0.85% 1-hexanol treatment, however the 1680 cm−1 band characteristic of a free keto group did not appear. These results indicate that the artificial aggregates formed by purified BChlc homologs and MGDG are good models for studying chlorosomes structure.

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Abbreviations

BChl:

bacteriochlorophyll

CD:

circular dichroism

MGDG:

monogalactosyl diglyceride

[E,E]BChlc F :

8-ethyl-12-ethyl farnesyl BChlc

[P,E]BChlc F :

8-propyl-12-ethyl farnesyl BChlc

[E,M]BChlc F :

8-ethyl-12-methyl farnesyl BChlc

[I,E]BChlc F :

8-isobutyl-12-ethyl farnesyl BChlc (This nomenclature is explained by Smith (1994))

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Engineering, University of Osaka Prefecture, Gakuencho, 593, Sakai, Japan

    Kaku Uehara

  2. National Institute of Basic Biology, Myodaiji, 444, Okazaki, Japan

    Mamoru Mimuro

  3. Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Kwansei Gakuin University, Uegahara, 662, Nishinomiya, Japan

    Yukihiro Ozaki

  4. Institute of Biochemistry, Odense University, DK-5230, Odense M, Denmark

    John M. Olson

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  1. Kaku Uehara
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  2. Mamoru Mimuro
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  3. Yukihiro Ozaki
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  4. John M. Olson
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Uehara, K., Mimuro, M., Ozaki, Y. et al. The formation and characterization of the in vitro polymeric aggregates of bacteriochlorophyllc homologs fromChlorobium limicola in aqueous suspension in the presence of monogalactosyl diglyceride. Photosynth Res 41, 235–243 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02184164

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02184164

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