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Photo-oxidation of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec in the green sulfur bacteriumChlorobium tepidum

  • Group 4: FMO-Protein, Reaction Centers and Electron Transport
  • Regular Papers
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Abstract

We studied the photosynthetic electron transfer system of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec inChlorobium tepidum, a thermophilic green sulfur bacterium, using whole cells and membrane preparations. Sulfide and thiosulfate, physiological electron donors, enhanced flash-induced photo-oxidation ofc-type cytochromes in whole cells. In membranes,c-553 cytochromes with two (or three) heme groups served as immediate electron donors for photo-oxidized bacteriochlorophyll (P840) in the reaction center, and appeared to be closely associated with the reaction center complex. The membrane-bound cytochromec-553 had anE m-value of 180 mV. When isolated soluble cytochromec-553, which has an apparent molecular weight of 10 kDa and seems to correspond to the cytochromec-555 inChlorobium limicola andChlorobium vibrioforme, was added to a membrane suspension, rapid photo-oxidation of both soluble and membrane-bound cytochromesc-553 was observed. The oxidation of soluble cytochromec-553 was inhibited by high salt concentrations. In whole cells, photo-oxidation was observed in the absence of exogenous electron donors and re-reduction was inhibited by stigmatellin, an inhibitor of the cytochromebc complex. These results suggest that the role of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec inC. tepidum is similar to the role of cytochromec in the photosynthetic electron transfer system of purple bacteria.

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Abbreviations

P840:

primary electron donor of the reaction center in Chlorobium

E m :

oxidation-reduction midpoint potential

E h :

oxidation-reduction potential

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetraacetate

Mops:

3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid

DAD:

2, 3, 5, 6-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine

SDS:

sodium dodecyl sulfate

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Okumura, N., Shimada, K. & Matsuura, K. Photo-oxidation of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec in the green sulfur bacteriumChlorobium tepidum . Photosynth Res 41, 125–134 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02184152

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