Light-induced FTIR difference spectroscopy of the S 2-to-S 3 state transition of the oxygen-evolving complex in Photosystem II

Abstract

We have applied flash-induced FTIR spectroscopy to study structural changes upon the S 2-to-S 3 state transition of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in Photosystem II (PSII). We found that several modes in the difference IR spectrum are associated with bond rearrangements induced by the second laser flash. Most of these IR modes are absent in spectra of S 2/S 1, of the acceptor-side non-heme ion, of Y ⋅ D/Y D and of S 3′/S 2′ from Ca-depleted PSII preparations. Our results suggest that these IR modes most likely originate from structural changes in the oxygen-evolving complex itself upon the S 2-to-S 3 state transition in PSII.