High-resolution structure and biochemical properties of the LH1-RC photocomplex from the model purple sulfur bacterium, Allochromatium vinosum

Abstract

The mesophilic purple sulfur phototrophic bacterium Allochromatium (Alc.) vinosum (bacterial family Chromatiaceae) has been a favored model for studies of bacterial photosynthesis and sulfur metabolism, and its core light-harvesting (LH1) complex has been a focus of numerous studies of photosynthetic light reactions. However, despite intense efforts, no high-resolution structure and thorough biochemical analysis of the Alc. vinosum LH1 complex have been reported. Here we present cryo-EM structures of the Alc. vinosum LH1 complex associated with reaction center (RC) at 2.24 Å resolution. The overall structure of the Alc. vinosum LH1 resembles that of its moderately thermophilic relative Alc. tepidum in that it contains multiple pigment-binding α- and β-polypeptides. Unexpectedly, however, six Ca ions were identified in the Alc. vinosum LH1 bound to certain α1/β1- or α1/β3-polypeptides through a different Ca²⁺-binding motif from that seen in Alc. tepidum and other Chromatiaceae that contain Ca²⁺-bound LH1 complexes. Two water molecules were identified as additional Ca²⁺-coordinating ligands. Based on these results, we reexamined biochemical and spectroscopic properties of the Alc. vinosum LH1-RC. While modest but distinct effects of Ca²⁺ were detected in the absorption spectrum of the Alc. vinosum LH1 complex, a marked decrease in thermostability of its LH1-RC complex was observed upon removal of Ca²⁺. The presence of Ca²⁺ in the photocomplex of Alc. vinosum suggests that Ca²⁺-binding to LH1 complexes may be a common adaptation in species of Chromatiaceae for conferring spectral and thermal flexibility on this key component of their photosynthetic machinery.