Spectral Diffusion and Electron-Phonon Coupling of the B800 BChl a Molecules in LH2 Complexes from Three Different Species of Purple Bacteria

Abstract

We have investigated the spectral diffusion and the electron-phonon coupling of B800 bacteriochlorophyll a molecules in the peripheral light-harvesting complex LH2 for three different species of purple bacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Rhodospirillum molischianum, and Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. We come to the conclusion that B800 binding pockets for Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas acidophila are rather similar with respect to the polarity of the protein environment but that the packaging of the αβ-polypeptides seems to be less tight in Rb. sphaeroides with respect to the other two species.