Skip to main content

Isolation of Photosystem II Reaction Center Complexes from Plants

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Photosynthesis Research Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 684))

Abstract

Methods to isolate and purify 6- and 5-Chl D1/D2/Cyt b559 photosystem II (PSII) reaction center (RC) complexes from plants are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are discussed. One of the simpler 6-Chl procedures and a procedure for isolating 5-Chl complexes are described in detail. Furthermore, a rapid procedure that produces relatively large amounts of less pure 6-Chl material (i.e., more nonpigmented protein) is also described. Criteria to assess the purity of PSII RC preparations are presented, and problems associated with each of the isolation procedures are discussed.

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

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Nanba, O. and Satoh, K. (1987) Isolation of a photosystem II reaction center consisting of D1 and D2 polypeptides and cytochrome b-559. PNAS USA 84,109–112.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Deisenhofer, J., Epp. O., Miki, K., Huber, R., and Michel H. (1985) Structure of the protein subunits in the photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodopseudomonas viridis at 3 Å resolution. Nature 318, 618–624.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Dekker, J. P. and Van Grondelle, R. (2000) Primary charge separation in photosystem II. Photosynth Res 63, 195–208.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Diner, B. A. and Rappaport, F. (2002) Structure, dynamics, and energetics of the primary photochemistry of photosystem II of oxygenic photosynthesis. Ann Rev Plant Biol 53, 551–580.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kamiya, N. and 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, 98–1003.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Guskov, A., Kern, J., Gabdulkhakov, A., Broser, M., Zouni, A., and Saenger, W. (2009) Cyanobacterial photosystem II at 2.9 Å resolution and the role of quinines, lipids, channels and chloride. Nat Struct Biol 16(2), 334–342.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Berthold, D. A., Babcock, G. T., and Yocum, C. F. (1981) A highly resolved, oxygen-evolving photosystem II preparation from spinach thylakoid membranes. FEBS Lett 134, 231–234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kuwabara, T. and Murata, N. (1982) Inactivation of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and concomitant release of three polypeptides in the photosystem II particles of spinach chloroplasts. Plant Cell Physiol 23, 533–539.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Yamamoto, Y., Doi, M., Tamura, N., and Nishimura, M. (1981) Release of polypeptides from highly active O2-evolving photosystem 2 preparation by Tris treatment. FEBS Lett 133, 265–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Dunahay, T. G., Staehelin, L. A., Seibert, M., Ogilvie, P. D., and Berg, S. P. (1984) Structural, biochemical and biophysical characterization of four oxygen-evolving photosystem II pre­parations from spinach. Biochim Biophys Acta 764, 179–193.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Seibert, M., Picorel, R., Rubin, A. B., and Connolly, J. S. (1988) Spectral, photophysical, and stability properties of isolated photosystem II reaction center. Plant Physiol 87, 303–306.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chapman, D. J., Gounaris, D., and Barber, J. (1988) Electron-transport properties of the isolated D1-D2-cytochrome b559 photosystem II reaction center. Biochim Biophys Acta 933, 423–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. McTavish, H., Picorel, R., and Seibert, M. (1989) Stabilization of isolated PSII reaction center complex in the dark and in the light using polyethylene glycol and an oxygen-scrubbing system. Plant Physiol 89, 452–456.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Vacha, F., Joseph, D. M., Durrant, J. R., Telfer, A., Klug, D. R., Porter, G., and Barber, J. (1995) Photochemistry and spectroscopy of a five-chlorophyll reaction center of photosystem II isolated by using a Cu affinity column. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92, 2929–2933.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Eijckelhoff, C. and Dekker J. P. (1997) A routine method to determine the chlorophyll a, pheophytin a, and β-catotene contents of isolated photosystem II reaction center complexes. Photosynth Res 52, 69–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hillmann, B., Brettel, K., van Mieghem, F. J. E., Kamlowski, A., Rutherford, A. W., and Schlodder E (1995) Charge recombination in Photosystem II. 2. Transient Absorbance difference spectra and their temperature dependence. Biochemistry 34, 4814–4827.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Smith, P.J., Peterson, S., Masters, V. M., Wydrzynski, T., Styring, S., Krausz, E., and Pace, R. J. (2002) Magneto-optical measurements of the pigments in fully active photosystem II core complexes from plants. Biochemistry 41, 1981–1989.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of their current and past collaborators for helping us make good use of the preparations described in this article. This work was supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy (MS), and by the MICINN of Spain (Grant BFU2005-04722-C02-01 and AGL2008-00377) to RP.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rafael Picorel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Seibert, M., Picorel, R. (2011). Isolation of Photosystem II Reaction Center Complexes from Plants. In: Carpentier, R. (eds) Photosynthesis Research Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 684. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-925-3_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-925-3_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-924-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-925-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics