Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Protein-pigments and the photosystem II reaction center: a glimpse into the history of research and reminiscences

  • Personal perspective
  • Published:
Photosynthesis Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article provides a glimpse into the dawning of research on chlorophyll–protein complexes and a brief recollection of the path that led us to the identification of the photosystem II reaction center, i.e., the polypeptides that carry the site of primary charge separation in oxygenic photosynthesis. A preliminary version of the personal review on the latter topic has already appeared in this journal (Satoh Photosynth Res 76:233–240, 2003).

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Chl:

Chlorophyll

CP-43, CP-47:

Antennas of the PS II core complex

D1, D2 proteins:

Reaction center subunits of the PS II

EPR:

Electron paramagnetic resonance

LHCP:

Light harvesting Chl a/b protein of the PS II

P680, P700:

Primary electron donor of the PS II and PS I, respectively

PS I, PS II:

Photosystem I and photosystem II, respectively

QA, QB :

Primary and secondary plastoquinone acceptors, respectively

PAGE:

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

YZ, YD :

Redox active tyrosine on D1 and D2 proteins, respectively

References

  • Alt J, Morris J, Westhoff P, Herrmann RG (1984) Nucleotide sequence of the clustered genes for the 44 kd chlorophyll a apoprotein and the “32 kd”-like protein of the photosystem II reaction center in the spinach plastid chromosome. Curr Genet 8:597–606. doi:10.1007/BF00395705

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barber J (1984) Has the mangano-protein of the water splitting reaction of photosynthesis been isolated? Trends Biochem Sci 9:79–80. doi:10.1016/0968-0004(84)90093-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barry BA, Babcock GT (1987) Tyrosine radicals are involved in the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving system. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:7099–7103. doi:10.1073/pnas.84.20.7099

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berthold DA, Babcock GT, Yocum JF (1981) A highly resolved oxygen-evolving photosystem II preparation from spinach thylakoid membranes. FEBS Lett 134:231–234. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(81)80608-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boardman NK, Anderson JM (1964) Isolation from spinach chloroplasts of particles containing different proportions of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b and their possible role in the light reactions of photosynthesis. Nature 293:166–167. doi:10.1038/203166a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bricker TM, Pakrasi HB, Sherman LA (1985) Characterization of a spinach photosystem II core preparation isolated by a simplified method. Arch Biochem Biophys 237:170–176. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(85)90266-8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown JS (1972) Forms of chlorophyll in vivo. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 23:73–86. doi:10.1146/annurev.pp.23.060172.000445

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butler WL, Strasser RJ (1977) Tripartite model for the photochemical apparatus of green plant photosynthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:3382–3385. doi:10.1073/pnas.74.8.3382

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camm EL, Green BR (1983) Relationship between the two minor chlorophyll a–protein complexes and the photosystem II reaction centre. Biochim Biophys Acta 724:291–293. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(83)90148-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chua N-H, Bennoun P (1975) Thylakoid membrane polypeptides of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: wild-type and mutant strains deficient in photosystem II reaction center. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72:2175–2179. doi:10.1073/pnas.72.6.2175

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danielius RV, Satoh K, van Kan PJM, Plijter JJ, Nuijs AM, van Gorkom HJ (1987) The primary reaction of photosystem II in the D1–D2-cytochrome b559 complex. FEBS Lett 213:241–244. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(87)81498-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • de Vitry C, Wollmann F-A, Delepelaire P (1984) Function of polypeptides of photosystem II reaction center in Chlamydomonas reinharditti. Biochim Biophys Acta 767:415–422. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(84)90039-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Debus RJ, Barry BA, Babcock GT, McIntosh L (1988a) Site-directed mutagenesis identifies a tyrosine radical involved in the photosynthetic oxygen evolving system. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:427–430. doi:10.1073/pnas.85.2.427

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Debus RJ, Barry BA, Sithole I, Babcock GT, McIntosh L (1988b) Directed mutagenesis identifies that the donor to P680 in photosystem II is Tyr-161 of the D1 polypeptide. Biochemistry 27:9071–9074. doi:10.1021/bi00426a001

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deisenhofer J, Epp O, Miki K, Huber R, Michel H (1985) Structure of the protein subunits in the photosynthetic reaction centre of Rhodopseudomonas viridis at 3Å resolution. Nature 318:618–624. doi:10.1038/318618a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Döring G, Bailey JL, Kreutz W, Witt HT (1968) The active chlorophyll-a II in light reaction II of photosynthesis. Naturwissenschaften 55:219–224. doi:10.1007/BF00606205

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duysens LNM, Amesz J, Kamp BM (1961) Two photochemical systems in photosynthesis. Nature 190:510–511. doi:10.1038/190510a0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis RJ (1977) Protein synthesis by isolated chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta 463:185–215

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson R, Arnold W (1932a) A separation of the reactions in photosynthesis by means of intermittent light. J Gen Physiol 15:391–420. doi:10.1085/jgp.15.4.391

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson R, Arnold W (1932b) The photochemical reaction in photosynthesis. J Gen Physiol 16:191–205. doi:10.1085/jgp.16.2.191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Engelmann TW (1882) Über Sauerstoffausscheidung von Pflanzenzellen im Mikrospectrum. Bot Z 40:419–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans MCW (1987) Plant reaction centre defined. Nature 327:284–285. doi:10.1038/327284a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira KN, Iverson TM, Maghlaoui K, Barber J, Iwata S (2004) Architecture of the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving center. Science 303:1831–1837. doi:10.1126/science.1093087

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer E (1906) Untersuchungen über Aminosäuren, Polypeptide und Proteine. Ber Dtsch Chem Ges 33:530–610. doi:10.1002/cber.19060390190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer H, Stern A (1940) Die Chemie des pyrrols, vol 2, Part II. Akad Verlagsges, Lepzig

    Google Scholar 

  • French CS (1938) The chromoproteins of photosynthetic purple bacteria. Science 88:60–62. doi:10.1126/science.88.2272.60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • French CS (1971) The distribution and action in photosynthesis of several forms of chlorophyll. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 68:2893–2897. doi:10.1073/pnas.68.11.2893

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaffron H, Whol K (1936) Zur Theorie der Assimilation. Naturwissenschaften 24:81–90, 103–107. doi:10.1007/BF01473561

    Google Scholar 

  • Gounaris K, Barber J (1985) Isolation and characterization of a photosystem II reaction center lipoprotein complex. FEBS Lett 188:68–72. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(85)80876-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hill R, Bendall F (1960) Function of the cytochrome components in chloroplasts: a working hypothesis. Nature 186:136–137. doi:10.1038/186136a0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hofmeister F (1902) Über Bau und Gruppierung der Eiweiss-körper. Ergeb Physiol 1:759–802

    Google Scholar 

  • Huzisige H, Usiyama H, Kikuti T, Azi T (1969) Purification and properties of the photoactive particle corresponding to photosystem II. Plant Cell Physiol 10:441–455

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeuchi M, Inoue Y (1988) A new 4.8-kDa polypeptide intrinsic to the PS II reaction center, as revealed by modified SDS-PAGE with improved resolution of low-molecular-weight proteins. Plant Cell Physiol 29:1233–1239

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeuchi M, Yuasa M, Inoue Y (1985) Simple and discrete isolation of an O2-evolving PS II reaction center complex retaining Mn and the extrinsic 33 kDa protein. FEBS Lett 185:316–322. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(85)80930-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamiya N, Shen J-R (2003) Crystal structure of oxygen-evolving photosystem II from Thermosynechococcus vulcanus at 3.7-Å resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:98–103. doi:10.1073/pnas.0135651100

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kashino Y, Lauber WM, Carroll JA, Wang Q, Whitmarsh J, Satoh K, Pakrasi HB (2002) Proteomic analysis of a highly active photosystem II preparation from the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 reveals the presence of novel polypeptides. Biochemistry 41:8004–8012. doi:10.1021/bi026012+

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kato Y, Nakamura K, Hashimoto T (1982) Evaluation of conventional and medium-performance anion exchangers for the separation of proteins. J Chromatogr 253:219–225. doi:10.1016/S0021-9673(01)88379-5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kendrew JC, Dickerson RE, Strandberg BE, Hart RG, Davies DR, Phillips DC et al (1960) Structure of myoglobin: a three-dimensional Fourier synthesis at 2 Å resolution. Nature 185:422–427. doi:10.1038/185422a0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klein SM, Vernon LP (1974) Protein composition of spinach chloroplasts and their photosystem I and photosystem II subfragments. Photochem Photobiol 19:43–49. doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1974.tb06472.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klimov VV, Klevanik AV, Shuvalov VA, Krasnowsky AA (1977) Reduction of pheophytin in the primary light reaction of photosystem II. FEBS Lett 82:183–186. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(77)80580-2

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi M, Maeda H, Watanabe T, Nakane H, Satoh K (1990) Chlorophyll a and β-carotene content in the D1/D2/cytochrome b-559 reaction center complex from spinach. FEBS Lett 260:138–140. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(90)80086-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koike H, Inoue Y (1983) Preparation of oxygen-evolving photosystem II particles from a thermophilic blue-green alga. In: Inoue Y, Crofts AR, Govindjee , Murata N, Renger G, Satoh K (eds) Oxygen evolving system of photosynthesis. Academic Press, Tokyo, pp 257–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Kupke DW, French CS (1961) Relationship of chlorophyll to protein and lipids: molecular and colloidal solutions. Chlorophyll units. In: Ruhland W (ed) Encycl plant physiol, vol V (1). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 298–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685. doi:10.1038/227680a0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loll B, Kern J, Saenger W, Zouni A, Biesiadka J (2005) Towards complete cofactor arrangement in the 3.0 Å resolution structure of photosystem II. Nature 438:1040–1044. doi:10.1038/nature04224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lubimenko V (1927) Reserches sur les pigments des plastes et sur la photosynthesis. I. Les pigments des plastes et leur transformation dans les tissues vivants de la plante. 1. Les pigments des chloroplasts. Rev Gen Bot 39:547–559

    Google Scholar 

  • Malcolm DB (1978) The decline and fall of protein chemistry? Nature 275:90–91. doi:10.1038/275090a0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mestre H (1930) The investigation of the pigments of the living photosynthetic cell. In: Contributions to marine biology. Stanford University Press, Stanford, pp 170–187

  • Michel H, Deisenhofer J (1985) X-ray diffraction studies on cryatalline bacterial photosynthetic reaction center: a progress report and conclusions on the structure of photosystem II reaction centers. In: Staehelin LA, Arntzen CJ (eds) Encyclopedia of plant physiology; new series photosynthesis, vol III. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 371–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris J, Hermann RG (1984) Nucleotide sequence of the gene for the P680 chlorophyll a apoprotein of the photosystem II reaction center from spinach. Nucleic Acids Res 12:2837–2850. doi:10.1093/nar/12.6.2837

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakatani HY, Ke B, Dolan E, Arntzen CJ (1984) Identity of the photosystem II reaction center polypeptide. Biochim Biophys Acta 765:347–352. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(84)90175-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nanba O, Satoh K (1987) Isolation of a photosystem II reaction center consisting of D-1 and D-2 polypeptides and cytochrome b-559. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:109–112. doi:10.1073/pnas.84.1.109

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa T, Obata F, Shibata K (1966) Two pigment proteins in spinach chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta 112:223–234. doi:10.1016/0926-6585(66)90323-2

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohyama K, Fukuzawa H, Kohchi T, Shirai H, Sano S, Umesono K et al (1986) Chloroplast gene organization deduced from complete sequence of liverwort Marchantia polymorpha chloroplast DNA. Nature 322:572–574. doi:10.1038/322572a0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Okamura MY (1984) On the herbicide site in bacterial reaction centers. In: Thornber JP, Staehelin LA, Hallick PR (eds) Biosynthesis of the photosynthetic apparatus: molecular biology, development and regulation. Alan R Liss, Inc, New York, pp 381–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Okamura MY, Satoh K, Issacson RA, Feher G (1987) Evidence of the primary charge separation in the D1/D2 complex of photosystem II from spinach: EPR of the triplet state. In: Biggins J (ed) Progress in photosynthesis research, vol 1. Martinus Nijhoff, Boston, pp 379–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier PJ, Caventou JB (1818) Sur la matiere verte des feuilles. Ann Chim Phys Ser II 9:194–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Perutz MF, Rossmann MG, Cullis AF, Muirhead H, Will G, North ACT (1960) Structure of haemoglobin: a three-dimensional Fourier synthesis at 5.5-Å resolution, obtained by X-ray analysis. Nature 185:416–422. doi:10.1038/185416a0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pfister K, Steinback KE, Gardner G, Arntzen CJ (1981) Photoaffinity labeling of an herbicide receptor protein in chloroplast membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:981–985. doi:10.1073/pnas.78.2.981

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Priestley J (1772) Observations on different kinds of air. Philos Trans R Soc Lond 62:147–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitch EI (1945) Photosynthesis and related processes, vol I. Wiley (Interscience), New York, pp 1–599

    Google Scholar 

  • Racker F (1984) Resolution and reconstitution of biological pathways from 1919 to 1984. Fed Proc 42:2899–2909

    Google Scholar 

  • Rochaix J-D, Dron M, Rahire M, Malone P (1984) Sequence homology between the 32 K dalton and the D2 chloroplast membrane polypeptides of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Mol Biol 3:363–370. doi:10.1007/BF00033383

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanger F (1952) The arrangement of amino acids in proteins. Adv Protein Chem 7:1–69. doi:10.1016/S0065-3233(08)60017-0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sapozhnikov DI, Maslova TG (1956) The state of chlorophyll in leaves of green plants. Trans Bot Inst A H SSSR Ser IV 11:97–115 (Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1979) Polypeptide composition of the purified photosystem II pigment-protein complex from spinach. Biochim Biophys Acta 546:84–92. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(79)90172-5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1980) F-695 emission from the purified photosystem II chlorophyll a–protein complex. FEBS Lett 110:53–56. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(80)80021-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1982) Fractionation of thylakoid-bound chlorophyll-protein complexes by isoelectric focusing. In: Edelman M, Hallick RB, Chua N-H (eds) Methods in chloroplast molecular biology. Elsevier Biomed Press, Amsterdam, pp 845–856

    Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1983) Photosystem II reaction center complex purified from higher plants. In: Inoue Y, Crofts AR, Govindjee , Murata N, Renger G, Satoh K (eds) Oxygen evolving system of photosynthesis. Academic Press, Tokyo, pp 27–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1985) Protein-pigments and photosystem II reaction center. Photochem Photobiol 42:845–853. doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1985.tb01656.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1986) Photosystem II particles largely depleted in the two intrinsic polypeptides in the 30 kDa region from Synechococcus sp.: identification of a subunit which carries the photosystem II reaction center. FEBS Lett 204:357–362. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(86)80843-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (1988) Reality of P-680 chlorophyll protein-Identification of the site of primary photochemistry in oxygenic photosynthesis. Physiol Plant 72:209–212. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3054.1988.tb06645.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K (2003) The identification of the photosystem II reaction center: a personal story. Photosynth Res 76:233–240. doi:10.1023/A:1024933610778

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K, Butler WL (1978) Low temperature spectral properties of subchloroplast fractions purified from spinach. Plant Physiol 61:373–379

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K, Katoh S (1985) Inhibition by ethylenediamine tetraacetate and restoration by Mn2+ and Ca2+ of oxygen-evolving activity in photosystem II preparation from the thermophilic cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. Biochim Biophys Acta 806:221–229. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(85)90099-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K, Yamamoto Y (2007) The carboxyl-terminal processing of precursor D1 protein of the photosystem II reaction center. Photosynth Res 94:203–215. doi:10.1007/s11120-007-9191-z

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K, Nakatani HY, Steinback KE, Watson J, Arntzen CJ (1983) Polypeptide composition of a photosystem II core complex: presence of a herbicide-binding protein. Biochim Biophys Acta 724:142–150. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(83)90035-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satoh K, Fujii Y, Aoshima T, Tado T (1987) Immunological identification of the polypeptide bands in the SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of photosystem II preparations. FEBS Lett 216:7–10. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(87)80746-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shen J-R, Inoue Y (1993) Binding and functional properties of two new extrinsic components, cytochrome c-550 and a 12 kDa protein, in cyanobacterial photosystem II. Biochemistry 32:1825–1832. doi:10.1021/bi00058a017

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shen J-R, Ikeuchi M, Inoue Y (1992) Stoichiometric association of extrinsic c-550 and 12 kDa protein with a purified oxygen-evolving photosystem II core complex from Synechococcus vulcanus. FEBS Lett 301:145–149. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(92)81235-E

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shibata K (1931) Carbon and nitrogen assimilation. Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo (Japanese) (English trans: Gest H, Togasaki RK (1975) Japan Science Press, Tokyo)

  • Shinozaki K, Ohme M, Tanaka M, Wakasugi T, Hayashida N, Matsubayashi T et al (1986) The complete nucleotide sequence of the tobacco chloroplast genome: its gene organization and expression. EMBO J 5:2043–2049

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith EL (1938) Solution of chlorophyll-protein compounds (phyllochlorins) extracted from spinach. Science 88:170–172. doi:10.1126/science.88.2277.170

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith EL (1941) The chlorophyll-protein compound of the green leaf. J Gen Physiol 24:565–582. doi:10.1085/jgp.24.5.565

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JHC (1952) Factor affecting the transformation of protochlorophyll to chlorophyll. Carnegie Inst Wash Year Book 51:151–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoll A (1936) Zusammenhänge zwischen der Chemie des Chlorophylls und seiner Funktion in der Photosynthese. Naturwissenschaften 24:53–59. doi:10.1007/BF01473802

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sumner JB (1926) The isolation and crystallization of the enzyme urease. Preliminary paper. J Biol Chem 69:435–441

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi Y, Takahashi M, Satoh K (1986) Identification of the site of iodide photooxidation in the photosystem II reaction center complex. FEBS Lett 208:347–351. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(86)81047-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi Y, Hansson Ö, Mathis P, Satoh K (1987) Primary radical pair in the photosystem II reaction center. Biochim Biophys Acta 893:49–59. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(87)90147-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang X-S, Satoh K (1984) Characterization of a 47-kilodalton chlorophyll-binding polypeptide (CP-47) isolated from a photosystem II core complex. Plant Cell Physiol 25:935–945

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang X-S, Satoh K (1985) The oxygen-evolving photosystem II core complex. FEBS Lett 179:60–64. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(85)80191-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas JB, Blaauw OH, Duysens LNM (1953) On the relation between size and photochemical activity of fragments of spinach grana. Biochim Biophys Acta 10:230–240. doi:10.1016/0006-3002(53)90247-9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thornber JP, Highkin HR (1974) Composition of the photosynthetic apparatus of normal barley leaves and a mutant lacking chlorophyll b. Eur J Biochem 41:109–116. doi:10.1111/j.1432-1033.1974.tb03250.x

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thornber JP, Smith CA, Bailey JL (1966) Partial characterization of two chlorophyll-protein complexes isolated from spinach-beet chloroplasts. Biochem J 100:14p–15p

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thornber JP, Markwell JP, Reinman S (1979) Plant chlorophyll–protein complexes: recent advances. Photochem Photobiol 29:1205–1216. doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1979.tb07840.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton LE, Roose JL, Pakrasi HB, Ikeuchi M (2005) The low molecular weight proteins of photosystem II. In: Wydrzynski TJ, Satoh K (eds) Photosystem II: the light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 121–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Trebst A (1986) The topology of the plastoquinone and herbicide binding peptides of photosystem II in the thlakoid membrane. Z Naturforsch 41c:240–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Tswett MS (1901) Chlorophyllous grains. Travaux Soc Kazan 35:1–268 (Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernon LP, Shaw ER, Ogawa T, Raveed D (1971) Structure of photosystem I and photosystem II of plant chloroplasts. Photochem Photobiol 14:343–357. doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1971.tb06178.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wassink EC (1948) Some remarks on chromophyllin and the paths of energy transfer in photosynthesis. Enzymologia 12:362–372

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wessels JSC (1962) Separation of the two photochemical systems of photosynthesis by digitonin fragmentation of spinach chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta 65:561–564. doi:10.1016/0006-3002(62)90476-6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wessels JSC, van Alphen-van Waveren O, Voorn G (1973) Isolation and properties of particles containing the reaction center complex of photosystem II from spinach chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta 292:741–752. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(73)90021-2

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Westhoff P, Alt J, Herrmann RG (1983) Localization of the genes for the two chlorophyll a-conjugated polypeptides (mol. wt. 51 and 44 kd) of the photosystem II reaction center on the spinach plastid chromosome. EMBO J 2:2229–2237

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Willstätter R, Stoll A (1913) Untersuchungen über Chlorophyll. Justus Springer, Berlin (English trans: Schertz FM, Merz AR (1928) Science Printing Press, Lancaster, PA)

  • Witt HT (2005) Photosystem II: structural elements, the first 3D crystal structure and functional implications. In: Wydrzynski TJ, Satoh K (eds) Photosystem II: the light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 425–447

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward RB, Ayer WA, Beaton JM, Bickelhaupt F, Bonnett R, Buchschacher P et al (1960) The total synthesis of chlorophyll. J Am Chem Soc 82:3800–3802. doi:10.1021/ja01499a093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wydrzynski TJ, Satoh K (2005) Photosystem II: the light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase. Springer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamada Y, Itoh N, Satoh K (1985) A versatile chromatographic procedure for purifying PS II reaction center complex from digitonin extracts of spinach thylakoids. Plant Cell Physiol 26:1263–1271

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamagishi A, Katoh S (1983) Two chlorophyll-binding subunits of the photosystem II reaction center complex from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechoccoccus sp. Arch Biochem Biophys 225:836–846. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(83)90096-6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamagishi A, Katoh S (1984) A photoactive photosystem II reaction-center complex lacking a chlorophyll-binding 40 kilodalton subunit from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechoccoccus sp. Biochim Biophys Acta 765:118–124. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(84)90004-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaoka T, Satoh K, Katoh S (1978) Photosynthetic activities of a thermophilic blue-green alga. Plant Cell Physiol 19:943–954

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zouni A, Witt HT, Kern J, Fromme P, Krauss N, Saenger W et al (2001) Crystal structure of photosystem II from Synechococcus elongatus at 3.8 Å resolution. Nature 409:739–743. doi:10.1038/35055589

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zurawski G, Bohnert HJ, Whitfeld PR, Bottomley W (1982) Nucleotide sequence of the gene for the Mr 32, 000 thylakoid membrane protein from Spinacia oleracea and Nicotiana debneyi predicts a totally conserved primary translation product of Mr 38, 950. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79:7699–7703. doi:10.1073/pnas.79.24.7699

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to the late Hirosi Huzisige for his guidance during the early part of my research career, to the students and colleagues in Okayama University, especially to Xiao-Song Tang, Yoshiaki Yamada, Osamu Nanba, and Yuichiro Takahashi, for their contribution to the progress in this line of research, and to the late Warren Butler, Paul Mathis, Charles Arntzen, George Feher, Melvin Okamura, Hans van Gorkom, and the late Arnold Hoff for their collaborations and encouragements. The author would like to express thanks to the editors of this special issue for inviting to write the article, and Jian-Ren Shen and Isao Enami for their valuable discussion and help in preparing this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Kimiyuki Satoh

Authors
  1. Kimiyuki Satoh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kimiyuki Satoh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Satoh, K. Protein-pigments and the photosystem II reaction center: a glimpse into the history of research and reminiscences. Photosynth Res 98, 33–42 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-008-9348-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-008-9348-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation