Distribution of bacteriochlorophyll between the pigment-protein complexes of the sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Allochromatium minutissimum depending on light intensity at different temperatures

Abstract

Variation of the distribution of bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) between external antenna (LH2) and core complexes (LHl + RC) of the photosynthetic membrane of the sulfur bacterium Allochromatium minutissimum was studied at light intensities of 5 and 90 Wt/m2 in the temperature range of 12-43 degrees C. The increase of light intensity was shown to result in a 1.5- to 2-times increase of a photosynthetic unit (PSU). PSU sizes pass through a maximum depending on growth temperature, and the increase of light intensity (5 and 90 Wt/m2) results in a shift of the maximal PSU size to higher temperatures (15 and 20 degrees C, respectively). In the narrow temperature interval of approximately 14-17 degrees C, the ratio of light intensity to PSU size is typical of phototrophs: lower light intensity corresponds to larger PSU size. The pattern of PSU size change depending on light intensity was shown to differ at extreme growth temperatures (12 degrees C and over 35 degrees C). The comparison of Alc. minutissimum PSU size with the data on Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodopseudomonas palustris by measuring the effective optical absorption cross-section for the reaction of photoinhibition of respiration shows a two to four times greater size of light-harvesting antenna for Alc. minutissimum, which seems to correspond to the maximum possible limit for purple bacteria.