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Chemical oxidation of the FMO antenna protein from Chlorobaculum tepidum

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Abstract

Effect of chemical oxidation by ferricyanide on bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) in the Fenna–Matthews–Olson protein (FMO) was studied using absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy at ambient and cryogenic temperatures. Partially selective oxidation of pigments bound to the antenna complex was achieved and the probable absorption wavelength corresponding to the recently discovered bacteriochlorophyll No. 8 of 806 nm was obtained by comparative analysis of the effect of chemical oxidation and the effect of different isolation procedures. Formation of a stable product identified as a chlorophyll a derivative occurred upon chemical oxidation. This new pigment remained bound within the pigment–protein complex, and exhibited an efficient energy transfer to BChl a. Furthermore, complex effects of the pigment oxidation upon the fluorescence yield of the FMO protein were observed. Utility of this approach based on chemical modifications for the investigation of the native regulatory mechanisms involved in the energy transfer in the FMO protein is discussed.

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Abbreviations

BChl a :

Bacteriochlorophyll a

da-Chl a :

3-Desvinyl-3-acetyl chlorophyll a

DDQ:

2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone

FeCy:

Ferricyanide

FMO:

Fenna–Matthews–Olson protein

LH:

Purple-bacterial light-harvesting complex

RC:

Reaction center

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Jianzhong Wen for providing us with the detergent-isolated FMO samples. Funding for this work was provided by U.S. Department of Energy Grant DE-FG02-10ER15846 to R.E.B. from the Photosynthetic Systems program of the Basic Energy Sciences Division.

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  1. David Bina

    Present address: Biology Centre ASCR vvi and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

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  1. Departments of Biology and Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    David Bina & Robert E. Blankenship

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  1. David Bina
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  2. Robert E. Blankenship
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Correspondence to Robert E. Blankenship.

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Bina, D., Blankenship, R.E. Chemical oxidation of the FMO antenna protein from Chlorobaculum tepidum . Photosynth Res 116, 11–19 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-013-9878-2

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