Light control over the size of an antenna unit building block as an efficient strategy for light harvesting in photosynthesis

FEBS Lett. 2002 Feb 13;512(1-3):129-32. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02238-x.

Abstract

It was shown that an increase in the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c antenna size observed upon lowering growth light intensities led to enhancement of the hyperchromism of the BChl c Q(y) absorption band of the green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus. With femtosecond difference absorption spectroscopy, it was shown that the amplitude of bleaching of the oligomeric BChl c Q(y) band (as compared to that for monomeric BChl a) increased with increasing BChl c content in chlorosomes. This BChl c bleaching amplitude was about doubled as the chlorosomal antenna size was about trebled. Both sets of findings clearly show that a unit BChl c aggregate in the chlorosomal antenna is variable in size and governed by the grow light intensity, thus ensuring the high efficiency of energy transfer within the BChl c antenna regardless of its size.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / radiation effects
  • Bacteriochlorophylls / radiation effects
  • Chlorobi / metabolism
  • Chlorobi / radiation effects*
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Photosynthesis / radiation effects*
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / radiation effects*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacteriochlorophylls
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • bacteriochlorophyll c