Skip to main content
Log in

Roderick K. Clayton: a life, and some personal recollections

  • Tribute
  • Published:
Photosynthesis Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 18 January 2014

Abstract

Roderick K. Clayton passed away on October 23, 2011, at the age of 89, shortly after the plan for this dedicatory issue of Photosynthesis Research had been hatched. I had just written a lengthy letter to him to re-establish contact after a hiatus of 2 or 3 years, and to suggest that I visit him to talk about his life. It isn’t clear whether he saw the letter or not, but it was found at his home in Santa Rosa, California. Fortunately, Rod has written two memoirs for Photosynthesis Research that not only cover much of his research on reaction centers (Photosynth Res 73:63–71, 2002) but also provide a humorous and honest look at his personal life (Photosynth Res 19:207–224, 1988). I cannot hope to improve on these and will try, instead, to fill in some of the gaps that Rod’s own writing has left, and offer some of my own personal recollections over the more recent years.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Known at that time as Rhodopseudomonas spheroides.

  2. Rod also labeled the special molecule BChl2, but this should not be taken to indicate that he thought it was a dimer, as is now known for the primary donor! However, his spectra, and those of Arnold and Clayton (1960) extended much further into the near infra-red than in previous studies, revealing the absorbance increase at 1250 nm upon oxidation, which is now associated with the dimer nature of P870.

  3. Later identified as Rhodopseudomonas (now Blastochloris, Blc.) viridis.

References

  • Allen JP, Feher G, Yeates TO, Komiya H, Rees DC (1987a) Structure of the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26: the cofactors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:5730–5734

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allen JP, Feher G, Yeates TO, Komiya H, Rees DC (1987b) Structure of the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26: the protein subunits. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:6162–6166

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Armitage JP, Hellingwerf KJ (2003) Light-induced behavioral responses (‘phototaxis’) in prokaryotes. Photosynth Res 76:145–155

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold W, Clayton RK (1960) The first step in photosynthesis: evidence for its electronic nature. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 46:769–776

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton JR, Clayton RK, Reed DW (1969) An identification of the radical giving rise to the light-induced electron spin resonance signal in photosynthetic bacteria. Photochem Photobiol 9:209–218

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouges-Bocquet B (1973) Electron transfer between the two photosystems in spinach chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta 314:250–256

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bril C (1958) Action of a non-ionic detergent on chromatophores of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochim Biophys Acta 29:458

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bril C (1960) Studies on bacterial chromatophores. I. Reversible disturbance of transfer of electronic excitation energy between bacteriochlorophyll types in Chromatium. Biochim Biophys Acta 39:296–303

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chance B (1952) The state of catalase in the respiring bacterial cell. Science 116:202–203

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1953a) Studies on the phototaxis of Rhodospirillum rubrum. I. Action spectrum, growth in green light, and Weber Law adherence. Arch Mikrobiol 19:107–124

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1953b) Studies on the phototaxis of Rhodospirillum rubrum. II. The relation between phototaxis and photosynthesis. Arch Mikrobiol 19:125–140

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1953c) Studies on the phototaxis of Rhodospirillum rubrum. III. Quantitative relations between stimulus and response. Arch Mikrobiol 19:141–165

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1955a) Competition between light and dark metabolism in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch Mikrobiol 22:195–203

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1955b) Photosynthesis and Respiration in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch Mikrobiol 22:180–194

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1955c) Tactic responses and metabolic activities in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch Mikrobiol 22:204–213

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1957) Patterns of accumulation resulting from taxes and changes in motility of micro-organisms. Arch Mikrobiol 27:311–319

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1958) On the interplay of environmental factors affecting taxis and motility in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch Mikrobiol 29:189–212

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1959a) Hydrogen donors and peroxide concentration in a respiring cell containing catalase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1:191–193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1959b) Permeability barriers and the assay of catalase in intact cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 36:35–39

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1959c) Purified catalase from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochim Biophys Acta 36:40–47

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1960a) The induced synthesis of catalase in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochim Biophys Acta 37:503–512

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1960b) Kinetics of H2O2 destruction in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides: roles of catalase and other enzymes. Biochim Biophys Acta 40:165–167

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1960c) Protein synthesis in the induced formation of catalase in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. J Biol Chem 235:405–407

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1961) Role of H2O2 in the killing of blue-green mutants of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. J Bacteriol 82:314–315

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1962a) Evidence for the photochemical reduction of Coenzyme Q in chromatophores of photosynthetic bacteria. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 9:49–53

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1962b) Primary reactions in bacterial photosynthesis. I. The nature of the light-induced absorbancy changes in chromatophores; evidence for a special bacteriochlorophyll component. Photochem Photobiol 1:201–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1962c) Primary reactions in bacterial photosynthesis. II. The quantum requirement for bacteriochlorophyll conversion in the chromatophore. Photochem Photobiol 1:305–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1962d) Primary reactions in bacterial photosynthesis. III. Reactions of carotenoids and cytochromes in illuminated bacterial chromatophore. Photochem Photobiol 1:313–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1962e) Recent developments in photosynthesis. Bacteriol Rev 26:151–164

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1963) Toward the isolation of a photochemical reaction center in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochim Biophys Acta 75:312–323

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1965) Characteristics of fluorescence and delayed light emission from green photosynthetic bacteria and algae. J Gen Physiol 48:633–646

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1966a) Fluorescence from major and minor bacteriochlorophyll components in vivo. Photochem Photobiol 5:679–688

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1966b) Relations between photochemistry and fluorescence in cells and extracts of photosynthetic bacteria. Photochem Photobiol 5:807–821

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1966c) Spectroscopic analysis of bacteriochlorophylls in vitro and in vivo. Photochem Photobiol 5:669–677

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1967) An analysis of the relations between fluorescence and photochemistry during photosynthesis. J Theor Biol 14:173–186

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1969) Characteristics of prompt and delayed fluorescence from spinach chloroplasts. Biophys J 9:60–76

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1970a) Light and living matter, volume 1: the physical part. Chemistry-biology interface series. McGraw Hill Book Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1970b) Light and living matter, volume 2: the biological part. Chemistry-biology interface series. McGraw Hill Book Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (1980) Photosynthesis: Physical mechanisms and chemical patterns. IUPAB Biophysics Series. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • Clayton RK (1988) Personal perspectives—memories of many lives. Photosynth Res 19:207–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK (2002) Research on photosynthetic reaction centers from 1932 to 1987. Photosynth Res 73:63–71

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Clayton BJ (1981) B850 pigment-protein complex of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides: extinction coefficients, circular dichroism, and the reversible binding of bacteriochlorophyll. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:5583–5587

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Sistrom WR (1966) An absorption band near 800 mµ associated with P870 in photosynthetic bacteria. Photochem Photobiol 5:661–668

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Smith C (1960) Rhodopseudomonas spheroides: high catalase and blue-green double mutants. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 3:143–145

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Straley SC (1970) An optical absorption change that could be due to reduction of the primary photochemical electron acceptor in photosynthetic reaction centers. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 39:1114–1119

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Straley SC (1972) Photochemical electron transport in photosynthetic reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides IV. Observations related to the reduced photoproducts. Biophys J 12:1221–1234

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Wang RT (1971) Photochemical reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Methods Enzymol 69:696–704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Ellingson EO, Shaw HE (1957) A carbon dioxide requirement for the metabolism of propionate in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch Mikrobiol 25:429–432

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Fleming H, Szuts EZ (1972a) Photochemical electron transport in photosynthetic reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides II. Interaction with external electron donors and acceptors and a reevaluation of some spectroscopic data. Biophys J 12:46–63

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Szuts EZ, Fleming H (1972b) Photochemical electron transport in photosynthetic reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides III. Effects of orthophenanthroline and other chemicals. Biophys J 12:64–79

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton RK, Rafferty CN, Verméglio A (1979) The orientation of transition moments in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, computed from data of linear dichroism and photoselection measurements. Biochim Biophys Acta 545:58–68

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cogdell RJ, Brune DC, Clayton RK (1974) Effects of extraction and replacement of ubiquinone upon the photochemical activity of reaction centers and chromatophores from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. FEBS Lett 45:344–347

    Article  CAS  PubMed  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 3 Å resolution. Nature 318:618–624

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dutton PL, Leigh JS Jr, Reed DW (1973) Primary events in the photosynthetic reaction centre from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides strain R26: triplet and oxidized states of bacteriochlorophyll and the identification of the primary electron acceptor. Biochim Biophys Acta 292:654–664

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duysens LNM (1951) Transfer of light energy within the pigment systems present in photosynthesizing cells. Nature 168:548–550

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duysens LNM (1952) Transfer of excitation energy in photosynthesis. Ph.D. thesis, State University of Utrecht, Utrecht

  • Duysens LNM, Huiskamp WJ, Vos JJ, van der Hart JM (1956) Reversible changes in bacteriochlorophyll in purple bacteria upon illumination. Biochim Biophys Acta 19:188–190

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson R, Arnold W (1932) The photochemical reaction in photosynthesis. J Gen Physiol 16:191–205

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fechner GT (1860) Elemente der Psychophysik. Breitkopf und Härtel, Leipzig

    Google Scholar 

  • Feher G (1971) Some chemical and physical properties of a bacterial reaction center particle and its primary photochemical reactants. Photochem Photobiol 14:373–387

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flavin M, Ortiz PJ, Ochoa S (1955) Metabolism of propionic acid in animal tissues. Nature 176:823–826

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holt AS, Clayton RK (1965) Light-induced absorbancy changes in Eimhjellen’s Rhodopseudomonas. Photochem Photobiol 4:829–831

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holten D, Hoganson C, Windsor MW, Schenck GC, Parson WW, Migus A, Fork RL, Shank CV (1980) Subpicosecond and picosecond studies of electron transfer intermediates in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides reaction centers. Biochim Biophys Acta 592:461–477

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joliot P (1965) Cinétiques des réactions liées à l’émission d’oxygène photosynthétique. Biochim Biophys Acta 102:116–134

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joliot A, Joliot P (1964) Étude cinétique de la réaction photochimique libérant l’oxygène au cours de la photosynthèse. C R Acad Sci Paris 258:4622–4625

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joliot P, Bennoun P, Joliot A (1973) New evidence supporting energy transfer between photosynthetic units. Biochim Biophys Acta 305:317–328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kojadinovic M, Armitage JP, Tindall MJ, Wadhams GH (2013) Rhodobacter sphaeroides chemotaxis response kinetics: complexities in signalling, similarities in responses. J Roy Soc Interface 10:20121001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kok B (1956) On the reversible absorption change at 705 mµ in photosynthetic organisms. Biochim Biophys Acta 22:399–401

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Land EJ, Swallow AJ (1970) One-electron reactions in biochemical systems as studied by pulse radiolysis. 3. Ubiquinone. J Biol Chem 245:1890–1894

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Land EJ, Simic M, Swallow AJ (1971) Optical absorption spectrum of half-reduced ubiquinone. Biochim Biophys Acta 226:239–240

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lavorel J (1968) Sur une relation entre fluorescence et luminescence dans les systèmes photo-synthétiques. Biochim Biophys Acta 153:727–730

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leigh JS Jr, Dutton PL (1972) The primary electron acceptor in photosynthesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 46:414–421

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Links J (1955) A hypothesis for the mechanism of (phobo-) chemotaxis. II. The carotenoids, steroids and fatty acids of Polytoma uvella. Ph.D. thesis, Leiden

  • Loach PA, Hall RL (1972) The question of the primary electron acceptor in bacterial photosynthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:786–790

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loach PA, Sekura DL (1968) Primary photochemistry and electron transport in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Biochemistry 7:2642–2649

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manten A (1948) Phototaxis in the purple bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum, and the relation between phototaxis and photosynthesis. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 14:65–86

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Okamura MY, Isaacson RA, Feher G (1975) Primary acceptor in bacterial photosynthesis: obligatory role of ubiquinone in photoactive reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72:3491–3495

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olson JM, Clayton RK (1966) Sensitization of photoreactions in Eimhjellen’s Rhodopseudomonas by a pigment absorbing at 830 mµ. Photochem Photobiol 5:655–660

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olson JM, Kok B (1959) Is oxidized bacteriochlorophyll an intermediate in bacterial photosynthesis? Biochim Biophys Acta 32:278–280

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parson WW, Clayton RK, Cogdell RJ (1975) Excited states of photosynthetic reaction centes at low redox potentials. Biochim Biophys Acta 387:265–278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed DW (1969) Isolation and Composition of a Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. J Biol Chem 244:4936–4941

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed DW, Clayton RK (1968) Isolation of a reaction center fraction from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 30:471–475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed DW, Zankel KL, Clayton RK (1969) The effect of redox potential on P870 fluorescence in reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 63:42–46

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slooten L (1972) Electron acceptors in reaction center preparations from photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 275:208–218

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Straley SC, Parson WW, Mauzerall DC, Clayton RK (1973) Pigment content and molar extinction coefficients of photochemical reaction centes from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochim Biophys Acta 305:597–609

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thurnauer MC, Katz JJ, Norris JR (1975) The triplet state in bacterial photosynthesis: possible mechanisms of the primary photo-act. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72:3270–3274

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Velthuys BR, Amesz J (1974) Charge accumulation at the reducing side of system 2 of photosynthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta 333:85–94

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verméglio A (1977) Secondary electron transfer in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides: out-of-phase periodicity of two for the formation of ubisemiquinone and fully reduced ubiquinone. Biochim Biophys Acta 459:516–524

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verméglio A, Clayton RK (1976) Orientation of chromophores in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides: evidence for two absorption bands of the dimeric primary electron donor. Biochim Biophys Acta 449:500–515

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vredenberg WJ, Duysens LNM (1963) Transfer of energy from bacteriochlorophyll to a reaction centre during bacterial photosynthesis. Nature 197:355–357

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang RT, Clayton RK (1971) The absolute yield of bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence in vivo. Photochem Photobiol 13:215–224

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weber EH (1846) Der Tastsinn und das Gemeingefühl. In: Wagner R (ed) Handwörterbuch der Physiologie, vol 3., F. Vieweg und sohn, Braunschweig, pp 481–511

    Google Scholar 

  • Wraight CA (1972) The emission factor in delayed light emission by uncoupled spinach chloroplasts. Biochim Biophys Acta 283:247–258

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wraight CA (1977) Electron acceptors of photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers: direct observation of oscillatory behavior suggesting two closely equivalent ubiquinones. Biochim Biophys Acta 459:525–531

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wraight CA (1979) Electron acceptors of bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers. II. H+ binding coupled to secondary electron transfer in the quinone acceptor complex. Biochim Biophys Acta 548:309–327

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wraight CA, Clayton RK (1973) The absolute quantum efficiency of bacteriochlorophyll photooxidation in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochim Biophys Acta 333:246–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wraight CA, Leigh JS Jr, Dutton PL, Clayton RK (1974) The triplet state of reaction center bacteriochlorophyll: determination of a relative quantum yield. Biochim Biophys Acta 333:401–408

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yau HF (1971) Action spectra for the absorbance change at 880 nm and for P870 fluorescence from a photosynthetic reaction center. Photochem Photobiol 14:475–482

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zankel KL, Clayton RK (1969) ‘Uphill’ energy transfer in a photosynthetic bacterium. Photochem Photobiol 9:7–15

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zankel KL, Reed DW, Clayton RK (1968) Fluorescence and photochemical quenching in photosynthetic reaction centers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 61:1243–1249

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I am indebted to Mrs. Ann Williams, Rod’s daughter, for all her help in piecing together details of Rod’s early life. It would have been an impoverished version without her willingness to answer so many questions. She was truly a fount of information, as well as the source of many of the photos that I have used in this memoir. Unfortunately, the true provenance of most of the photos is unknown.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Colin A. Wraight.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wraight, C.A. Roderick K. Clayton: a life, and some personal recollections. Photosynth Res 120, 9–26 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-013-9948-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-013-9948-5

Keywords

Navigation