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The photosynthetic apparatus and photoinduced electron transfer in the aerobic phototrophic bacteria Roseicyclus mahoneyensis and Porphyrobacter meromictius

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Abstract

Photosynthetic electron transfer has been examined in whole cells, isolated membranes and in partially purified reaction centers (RCs) of Roseicyclus mahoneyensis, strain ML6 and Porphyrobacter meromictius, strain ML31, two species of obligate aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. Photochemical activity in strain ML31 was observed aerobically, but the photosynthetic apparatus was not functional under anaerobic conditions. In strain ML6 low levels of photochemistry were measured anaerobically, possibly due to incomplete reduction of the primary electron acceptor (QA) prior to light excitation, however, electron transfer occurred optimally under low oxygen conditions. Photoinduced electron transfer involves a soluble cytochrome c in both strains, and an additional reaction center (RC)-bound cytochrome c in ML6. The redox properties of the primary electron donor (P) and QA of ML31 are similar to those previously determined for other aerobic phototrophs, with midpoint redox potentials of +463 mV and −25 mV, respectively. Strain ML6 showed a very narrow range of ambient redox potentials appropriate for photosynthesis, with midpoint redox potentials of +415 mV for P and +94 mV for QA. Cytoplasm soluble and photosynthetic complex bound cytochromes were characterized in terms of apparent molecular mass. Fluorescence excitation spectra revealed that abundant carotenoids not intimately associated with the RC are not involved in photosynthetic energy conservation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by grants from the NSERC (Canada) to V.Y. CEA (France) provided financial support to C.R. during his research visit to Cadarache.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, 422 Buller Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Christopher Rathgeber, Elizabeth Hughes & Vladimir Yurkov

  2. Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS UPR 1261, 13 rue P. et M. Curie, 75005, Paris, France

    Jean Alric

  3. CEA-Cadarache DSV-DEVM Laboratoire de Bioénergétique Cellulaire, UMR 163 CEA-CNRS, Univ. Méditerranée-CEA 1000, 13108, Saint Paul lez Durance Cedex, France

    André Verméglio

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  1. Christopher Rathgeber
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  2. Jean Alric
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  3. Elizabeth Hughes
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  4. André Verméglio
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  5. Vladimir Yurkov
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Correspondence to Vladimir Yurkov.

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Rathgeber, C., Alric, J., Hughes, E. et al. The photosynthetic apparatus and photoinduced electron transfer in the aerobic phototrophic bacteria Roseicyclus mahoneyensis and Porphyrobacter meromictius . Photosynth Res 110, 193–203 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-011-9718-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-011-9718-1

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