Assembly of a mixture of isomeric BChl c from Chlorobium limicola as determined by intermolecular 13C-13C dipolar correlations: coexistence of dimer-based and pseudo-monomer-based stackings

Biochemistry. 2006 Jun 20;45(24):7574-85. doi: 10.1021/bi0525728.

Abstract

A mixture of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c isomers was extracted from the cells of Chlorobium limicola that were grown in the media of 13C-enriched and natural-abundance isotopic compositions. The magic-angle spinning 13C NMR proton-driven spin-diffusion spectra were recorded with mixing times of 50, 100, and 250 ms for two different kinds of in vitro aggregates, one consisting of pure [13C]BChl c and the other consisting of a 1:1 mixture of [13C]BChl c and [12C]BChl c; those peaks whose intensities were reduced to approximately 1/4 by this dilution were assigned to intermolecular 13C-13C dipolar correlation peaks. On the other hand, the nearest-neighbor intermolecular carbon-carbon close contacts with distances of 4-6 A were simulated, to predict observed correlation peaks, for six different models of BChl c assembly. They include weakly overlapped monomers forming structure 1 and structure 2, strongly overlapped dimers forming straight and inclined columns, and weakly overlapped dimers forming aligned and displaced layers. Comparison between the observed correlation peaks and the predicted carbon-carbon close contacts, for both the macrocycles and the side chains, led us to a conclusion that the weakly overlapped dimers forming displaced layers are most likely the assembly of the BChl c molecules in the aggregate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacteriochlorophylls / chemistry*
  • Bacteriochlorophylls / genetics
  • Bacteriochlorophylls / metabolism*
  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Chlorobium / cytology
  • Chlorobium / genetics
  • Chlorobium / metabolism*
  • Dimerization
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Isomerism
  • Models, Chemical
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacteriochlorophylls
  • Carbon Isotopes