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Variation in supramolecular organisation of the photosynthetic membrane of Rhodobacter sphaeroides induced by alteration of PufX

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Abstract

In purple bacteria of the genus Rhodobacter (Rba.), an LH1 antenna complex surrounds the photochemical reaction centre (RC) with a PufX protein preventing the LH1 complex from completely encircling the RC. In membranes of Rba. sphaeroides, RC–LH1 complexes associate as dimers which in turn assemble into longer range ordered arrays. The present work uses linear dichroism (LD) and dark-minus-light difference LD (ΔLD) to probe the organisation of genetically altered RC–LH1 complexes in intact membranes. The data support previous proposals that Rba. capsulatus, and Rba. sphaeroides heterologously expressing the PufX protein from Rba. capsulatus, produce monomeric core complexes in membranes that lack long-range order. Similarly, Rba. sphaeroides with a point mutation in the Gly 51 residue of PufX, which is located on the membrane-periplasm interface, assembles mainly non-ordered RC–LH1 complexes that are most likely monomeric. All the Rba. sphaeroides membranes in their ΔLD spectra exhibited a spectral fingerprint of small degree of organisation implying the possibility of ordering influence of LH1, and leading to an important conclusion that PufX itself has no influence on ordering RC–LH1 complexes, as long-range order appears to be induced only through its role of configuring RC–LH1 complexes into dimers.

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  1. Lucy I. Crouch

    Present address: Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Medical School, University of Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Kinga Sznee, Jan P. Dekker & Raoul N. Frese

  2. School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK

    Lucy I. Crouch & Michael R. Jones

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  1. Kinga Sznee
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  2. Lucy I. Crouch
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Correspondence to Kinga Sznee or Raoul N. Frese.

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Sznee, K., Crouch, L.I., Jones, M.R. et al. Variation in supramolecular organisation of the photosynthetic membrane of Rhodobacter sphaeroides induced by alteration of PufX. Photosynth Res 119, 243–256 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-013-9949-4

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