Number Of Reaction Centers Research Articles

Iron and Manganese concentrations in leaf tissues of Rhizophora mangle (Rhizophoraceae): implications for energetic metabolism

Introduction: Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are bioessential micronutrients for plants but can impair the energetic metabolism when present at high levels. Objective: To assess the photosynthetic performance and oxidative damages in Rhizophora mangle L. leaf tissues at low and high concentrations of Fe (74 and 195 mg kg-1; Feleaf) and Mn (65 and 414 mg kg-1; Mnleaf). Methods: Photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf CO2 assimilation and gas exchange and DPPH• radical scavenging capacity were sampled in R. mangle growing in estuarine forests in the North region of Espírito Santo State and the extreme South of Bahia State (Brazil) showing low and high Feleaf and Mnleaf. Results: Effects of high Fe and Mn were not identified on pigment levels. The increase in Feleaf and Mnleaf at the levels observed in this assessment had a positive effect on the number of reaction centers and on the efficiency of the oxygen-evolving complex, evaluated as K-band, while no changes were found in the parameters related to the excitation trapping efficiency at the active center of photosystem II. Distinct interference patterns of Fe and Mn on the functional processes of photosynthesis were identified, especially on CO2 assimilation and reactive oxygen species metabolism, with major effects on CO2 assimilation and carboxylation efficiency of Rubisco at high Mnleaf. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the efficiency of R. mangle in positively regulating the electron transport chain in response to high Fe and Mn, at least in terms of the preservation of structure and functionality of the plant photosynthetic apparatus. Moreover, interference of high Mnleaf in R. mangle occurs at non-stomatal and biochemical levels. There is an antagonistic interference of these trace elements with the physiology of R. mangle, which is a dominant species in Brazilian mangroves.

Study the application of new type green corrosion inhibitors for iron metal

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to evaluate the capability of Glutamine (Gln) and its derivative chemicals as inhibitors for the anti-corrosive behavior of iron. The current work is devoted to scrutinizing reactivity descriptors (both local and global) of Gln, two states of neutral and protonated. Also, the change of Gln upon the incorporation into dipeptides was investigated. Since the number of reaction centers has increased, an enhancement in dipeptides’ inhibitory effect was observed. Thus, the adsorption of small-scale peptides and glutamine amino acids on Fe surfaces (111) was performed, and characteristics such as adsorption energies and the configuration with the highest stability and lowest energy were calculated. Based on previous researches, it is understood that the adsorption of dipeptides on the aforementioned moieties has a chemical nature. The protonation of configuration leads to an increase in the amount of energy of adsorption on the surface of metal among the inhibitors. Theoretically speaking, it is more likely for peptides to adsorb on the surface of iron, and this fact reveals that these moieties are highly effective in terms of inhibitive applications. According to the obtained findings, small peptides can be used as favorable “green” corrosion inhibitors.

Effect of exogenous application of salt stress and glutamic acid on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

• The combined effect of salinity and glutamic acid (GA) has been investigated in lettuce. • Yield, PSII, chlorophyll, proline and ABA levels were affected by salt stress. • ROS-scavenging genes were down-regulated under stress and not affected by GA. Salinity is a serious environmental issue which can negatively affect crop growth and productivity worldwide. Lettuce is generally considered as a salt-sensitive crop; however, different cultivars may have different adaptive mechanisms to this environmental stress. The application of biostimulants has proven to be a strategic strategy to improve plant responses to abiotic stresses and to foster resilience of crops during cultivation. This study intended to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying Romaine lettuce plant responses to salt stress, also in combination with the exogenous application of glutamic acid. The glutamic acid treatment was applied as foliar spray for the first time before salt exposure, followed by three applications during the stress. To understand the effect of salinity and glutamic acid treatment, different physiological and molecular analytical determinations were performed. High salinity induced a general stimulation of PSII and chlorophyll content. In particular, the performance index (+102%) and the number of reaction centres per cross section (+75,7%) increased, whereas the energy dissipation as heat per reaction centres (-32,1%) and the net rate of the centres’ closure (Mo) (-39.4%) decreased. Moreover, a reduction of yield (-26,5%) was observed in plants grown under high salinity. The concentration of proline was stimulated by salinity whereas ABA levels were reduced. The analyses of the genes encoding for ROS scavenging enzymes showed a general downregulation in response to salinity with the only exception of LsSOD . The application of the glutamic acid did not show a clear effect of the amino acid on lettuce plants, regardless the different growing conditions.

Application of Optimal Combined Microfertilizers of Boron, Molybdenum, and Copper Improves Root Tuber Yield Trait and Photosynthetic Response Characteristics in Pseudostellaria heterophylla

In the actual cultivation process, blind fertilizer application was widespread, resulting in a serious decline in the yield of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. We used the 3414 fertilizer experiment design to study the effects of combined Boron (B), Molybdenum (Mo), and Copper (Cu) on the growth indexes, diurnal changes of photosynthesis, and rapid fluorescence induction dynamics in P. heterophylla. Our results show that the optimal combination of B, Mo, and Cu simultaneously promoted the growth of underground and aboveground parts, and significantly improved the quality of single root tuber and yield per unit area. The best combination was treatment 9 (T9 = B, 1 g/L; Mo, 0.08 g/L; Cu, 0.05 g/L), and resulted in a 35.1% increase in yield per unit area compared with the control group (T1). Although the optimal combined application of microfertilizers did not change the bimodal trend of diurnal variation of photosynthesis, it effectively increased the daily average, peak, and valley values of the photosynthetic rate by alleviating the nonstomatal limitation and the photosynthetic midday depression. Pseudostellaria heterophylla leaves showed greater photochemical activity and less photoinhibition of photosystem II in T9. Major effects were that it helped protect the activity of the oxygen-evolving complex to reduce the oxidative damage of chloroplasts and prevent the dissociation of thylakoid. The microfertilizer application also enhanced the electron receiving ability of the QB and plastoquinone (PQ) electronic pools, thereby increasing the ability of electron transfer from QA to QB. The number of reaction centers per unit area was promoted notably by the fertilization treatment.

Effects of iron and light availability on phytoplankton photosynthetic properties in the Ross Sea

Waters of the Southern Ocean are characterized by high macronutrient concentrations but limited availability of trace metals and light, often making it difficult for phytoplankton to achieve maximum growth rates. One strategy employed by Southern Ocean phytoplankton in culture to cope with low light and low dissolved iron (DFe) is to enhance light absorption by increasing their antenna size rather than the number of reaction centers, thereby reducing their Fe demand. Here we provide physiological evidence that natural populations of Southern Ocean phytoplankton employ a similar photoacclimation strategy to cope with low ambient DFe concentrations. During a research cruise to the Ross Sea in 2013-2014, we conducted 4 bioassay experiments in which we manipulated light and DFe concentrations and measured changes in phytoplankton biomass, growth rate, photosynthetic parameters, fluorescence parameters, and pigment composition. Phytoplankton responded strongly to DFe additions, exhibiting significantly higher biomass, growth rates, and photosynthetic competency. At low light, the maximum photosynthetic rate (P*max) was significantly reduced and the photosynthetic efficiency (α*) was unchanged compared to the high light treatment, regardless of phytoplankton species composition or DFe concentration. Our data suggest that Southern Ocean phytoplankton have evolved an Fe-saving strategy whereby they photoacclimate to low light by increasing their photosynthetic unit size, rather than photosynthetic unit number, even when DFe is available. It appears this Fe-saving strategy is characteristic of both Phaeocystis antarctica and diatoms, suggesting that it is a common adaptation among phytoplankton taxa that grow under Fe limitation in the Southern Ocean.

Seasonal regulation of the coupling between photosynthetic electron transport and carbon fixation in the Southern Ocean

AbstractActive fluorescence measurements can provide rapid, non‐intrusive estimates of phytoplankton primary production at high spatial and temporal resolution, but there is uncertainty in converting from electrons to ecologically relevant rates of CO2 assimilation. In this study, we examine the light‐dependent rates of photosynthetic electron transport and 13C‐uptake in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean to derive a conversion factor for both winter (July 2015–August 2015) and summer (December 2015–February 2016). The results revealed significant seasonal differences in the light‐saturated chlorophyll specific rate of 13C‐uptake, ( ), with mean summer values 2.3 times higher than mean winter values, and the light limited chlorophyll specific efficiency, (αB), with mean values 2.7 times higher in summer than in winter. Similar patterns were observed in the light‐saturated photosynthetic electron transport rates ( , 1.5 times higher in summer) and light limited photosynthetic electron transport efficiency (αRCII, 1.3 times higher in summer). The conversion factor between carbon and electrons (Φe:C (mol e− mol C−1)) was derived utilizing in situ measurements of the chlorophyll‐normalized number of reaction centers (nRCII), resulting in a mean summer Φe:C which was ∼ 3 times lower than the mean winter Φe:C. Empirical relationships were established between Φe:C, light and NPQ, however they were not consistent across locations or seasons. The seasonal decoupling of Φe:C is the result of differences in Ek‐dependent and Ek‐independent variability, which require new modelling approaches and improvements to bio‐optical techniques to account for these inter‐seasonal differences in both taxonomy and environmental mean conditions.

Photosynthesis Regulation by Glucohexaose Through Redox Changes in Cucumis sativus

To investigate the effects of glucohexaose (P6) on cucumber, leaf CO2 assimilation, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, chlorophyll content, and carbohydrate metabolism were examined in cucumber plants. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of cucumber leaves was enhanced after being treated with 10 μg mL−1 P6. The increase was correlated with increases in transpiration rate (E) and stomatal conductance (Gs), whereas the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) was not different from the control plants. Chlorophyll content, absorption of light energy per unit area (ABS/CS), capture of light energy per unit area (TRo/CS), quantum yield of electron transport per unit area (ETo/CS), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (φPo), quantum yield of photosynthetic institution electron transfer (φEo), probability of other electron acceptors that captured exciton-transferred electrons to the electronic chain which exceeds QA (ψo), number of reaction centers per unit leaf area (RC/CSo), and the performance index on absorption basis (PIABS) were improved, but heat dissipation per unit area (DIo/CS) and maximum quantum yield of non-chemical quenching (φDo) were reduced. In addition, increases in sucrose, soluble sugars, and starch contents were observed in P6-treated plants. However, H2O2 scavenger (DMTU) or NADPH oxidase inhibitor (DPI) pretreatment significantly abolished the effect of P6 on photosynthesis. The results demonstrated that ROS played a critical role in P6-induced photosynthesis. The increase in chlorophyll content together with efficient light absorption, transmission, and conversion in P6-treated plants is important for increasing photosynthesis.

Excess Ca2+ does not alleviate but increases the toxicity of Hg2+ to photosystem II in Synechocystis sp. (Cyanophyta)

This study demonstrated that excess Ca2+ increased the toxicity of Hg2+ to PSII of cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. using fast rise chlorophyll fluorescence test. Excess Ca2+ increased the inhibitory effect of Hg2+ on O2 evolution. Exposure to Hg2+ caused increase in functional antenna size (ABS/RC), trapping rate of reaction center (TR0/RC), dissipated energy flux per reaction center (DI0/RC) and maximum quantum yield of non-photochemical deexcitation (φDo), indicating that some reaction centers were transformed to dissipation sinks under Hg2+ stress. Hg2+ stress slowed down electron transport on both donor side and acceptor side and caused accumulation of P680+. Excess Ca2+ intensified all the Hg2+ toxic effects on PSII function and led to dysfunction of PSII. The number of reaction centers that were transformed into dissipation sinks increased with increasing Ca2+ concentration.

PHOTOACCLIMATION, PHOTOSYNTHESIS, AND GROWTH IN PHYTOPLANKTON

ABSTRACT In this study we have followed various aspects of the photoacclimation of Synechococcus leopoliensis, Isocrysis galbana, and Scenedesmus quadricauda grown at different irradiances. These included changes in the biochemistry, physiology, and ecological fitness of the cells. As cells adapted to lower growth-irradiance levels, chlorophyll (chl) a per cell increased 2.3–7.4-fold. The photosynthetic apparatus changed by increasing the photosynthetic unit size, or the number of reaction centers per cell. The values of the in vivo spectral average, effective optical-absorption cross section (°a*) showed an opposite trend, ranging from 0.010 m2 mg−1 chl a at 15 μmole quanta m−2 s−1 to 0.097 m2 mg−1 chi a at 600 μmole quanta m−2 s−1. The maximum quantum yield, Φmax, increased consistently as growth irradiance decreased from 600 to 15 μmole quanta nr−2 s−1. Light-saturated rates of photosynthesis were considerably higher in all high-light grown cultures than in low-light ones. Respiration rate is greater a...

Photosynthetic acclimation to different light levels in the brown marine macroalga, Hizikia fusiformis (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta)

Hizikia fusiformis thalli experience dynamic incident light conditions during the period of growth. The present study was designed to examine how changing photon irradiance affects the photosynthesis both in the short and long terms by culturing H. fusiformis under three different light levels: 35 μmol photons m-2 s-1 (low light, LL), 85 μmol photons m-2 s-1 (intermediate light, IL), and 165 μmol photons m-2 s-1 (high light, HL). A similar relative growth rate was observed between IL- and HL-grown algae, but the growth rate was significantly reduced in LL-grown algae. The photosynthetic rates (Pn) measured at their respective growth light levels were found to be lowest in the thalli grown at LL and highest at HL. However, LL-grown algae exhibited much higher Pn in comparison with IL- and the HL-grown thalli at the same measuring photosynthetic photon flux density, indicating the photosynthetic acclimation to low growth light in H. fusiformis. The photosynthesis–light curves showed that LL-grown algae had a highest light-saturating maximum Pn (Pmax) in comparison with IL- or HL-grown algae when the photosynthetic rates were expressed on the biomass basis. However, Pmax was highest in HL-grown algae compared to IL- or LL-grown algae when the rates were normalized to chlorophyll a. The photosynthesis–inorganic carbon (Ci) response curves were also significantly affected by the growth light conditions. The highest value of apparent photosynthetic conductance occurred in LL-grown algae while the lowest value in HL-grown algae. Additionally, the activity of external carbonic anhydrase (CA) tended to increase while the total CA activity inclined to decrease in H. fusiformis thalli when the growth light level altered from 35 to 165 μmol photons per square meter per second. The external CA inhibitors showed a higher inhibition in HL-grown algae compared with LL-grown algae. It was proposed that photosynthetic acclimation to low light condition in H. fusiformis was achieved through an increase in the number of reaction centers and increased capacities of electron transport and of Ci transport within cells. The ability of photosynthetic acclimation to low light confers H. fusiformis thalli to overcome the environmental low light condition as a result of the attenuation of seawater or self-shading through enhancing its photosynthetic performance and carbon assimilation necessary for growth.

Growth Inhibition Occurs Independently of Cell Mortality in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Exposed to High Cadmium Concentrations

In order to analyze the adaptation potential of tomato shoots to a sudden increase in Cd concentration, tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. Ailsa Craig) were exposed under controlled environmental conditions to a high dose of this heavy metal (250 microM CdCl2) in nutrient solution for 7 and 14 d. Both root and shoot growth was completely inhibited but all plants remained alive until the end of the treatment. Cell viability remained unaffected but the activity of the mitochondrial alternative pathway was stimulated by Cd stress at the expense of the cytochrome pathway. Cadmium concentration was higher in roots than in shoots and a decrease in the rate of net Cd translocation was noticed during the second week of stress. Cadmium decreased both leaf conductance (g(l)) and chlorophyll concentration. However, the effect on net CO2 assimilation remained limited and soluble sugars accumulated in leaves. Photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was not affected despite a decrease in the number of reaction centers and an inhibition of electron transfer to acceptors of PSII. It is concluded that tomato shoot may sustain short term exposure to high doses of cadmium despite growth inhibition. This property implies several physiological strategies linked to both avoidance and tolerance mechanisms.

Spectral properties and the number of photosynthetic reaction centers in chlorophyll-deficient mutants of Pisum sativum

Spectral and photochemical properties were analyzed on intact chloroplasts and pigment-protein complexes isolated with gel electrophoresis from pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaves of parental variety Torsdag and of chlorophyll-deficient mutants chlorotica 2004 and 2014. Measurements of chlorophyll absorption and fluorescence spectra and of second derivative low-temperature (−196°C) spectra clarified exact positions of fluorescence maxima and revealed the chlorophyll forms of individual complexes in samples investigated. The chlorotica 2004 mutant, whose hybrids yield the heterosis effect, was characterized by the decreased accumulation of chlorophyll forms absorbing at 690, 697, and 708 nm, known to constitute the core antenna in the vicinity of photosystem I (PSI) reaction center. In the chlorotica 2014 mutant, whose hybrids are low productive, the interaction between PSI and PSII complexes was weakened, but no other difference from the parental variety was observed. The analysis of PSI and PSII photochemical activities, as well as estimates of light-harvesting antenna size and the number of reaction centers revealed that the chlorotica 2004 mutant is deficient in the number of PSI reaction centers by a factor of 1.7. This deficiency resulted from the mutation-induced disorder in biosynthesis of chlorophyll a-protein complex of PSI. It appears that gene interactions between the 2004 mutant and the parental variety Torsdag enhance the functional and metabolic activity of leaves in their hybrids, thereby yielding the heterosis effect.

Pigment–Protein Complexes and the Number of Reaction Centers of the Photosystems in Pea Chlorophyll Mutants

We studied fluorescent and absorption properties of the chloroplasts and pigment–protein complexes isolated by gel electrophoresis from the leaves of pea, the parent cultivar Torsdag and mutants chlorotica 2004 and 2014. Specific fluorescence peaks of chlorophyll forms in individual complexes have been determined from the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the chloroplast chlorophyll and their second derivatives at 23 and –196°C. The mutant chlorotica 2004 proved to have an increased intensity of a long-wave band of the light-harvesting complex I at both 23°C (745 nm) and –196°C (728 nm). At the same time, this mutant manifested a decreased accumulation of the chlorophyll forms making up the nearest-neighbor antenna of the PS I reaction center (at 690, 697, and 708 nm). No spectral differences have been revealed between chlorotica 2014 mutant and the parent cultivar. Gel electrophoresis revealed the synthesis of all chlorophyll–protein complexes in both mutants. At the same time, analysis of photochemical activity of PS I and PS II reaction centers and calculations of their number and the size of the light-harvesting antenna have shown that the number of reaction centers in the PS I of chlorotica 2004 mutant is reduced by a factor of 1.7 because its chlorophyll a–protein complex is disturbed by the mutation. The primary effect of chlorotica 2014 mutation remains unclear. The proportional changes in the content of photosystem complexes in this mutant suggest that they are secondary and result from a 50% decrease in chlorophyll content.

Compositional and topological studies of the PsbW protein in spinach thylakoid membrane

The lateral distribution and transversal orientation of the nuclear encoded PsbW protein (psbW gene product) has been investigated. The main part (80%) of the PsbW protein was found in the grana region of the thylakoid membrane, corroborating earlier observations that the PsbW protein was closely associated with Photosystem II (PS II). The localisation within the PS II complex was analysed by a comparative quantification of the PsbW content between PS II membrane fragments (BBY) and various isolated PS II reaction centres. Our results showed that the PsbW protein could be detected in all PS II reaction centre preparations, whereas the chlorophyll a proteins CP47 and CP43 were not detectable. However, a careful analysis based on the number of reaction centres, revealed that the amount of the PsbW protein found in the PS II reaction centre preparation (Nanba-Satoh type) was lower than that in a BBY preparation. These results suggested that the PsbW protein was located close to the D1/D2 heterodimer, but the PsbW protein could, at least partially, be removed from the PS II reaction centre during isolation. Quantification of the amounts of the PsbW protein in various reaction centre preparations indicated that the presence of Triton X-100 throughout the isolation procedure appeared to be a crucial point for obtaining low amounts of the PsbW protein in the PS II reaction centre preparation. Trypsin digestion followed by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) revealed that the hydrophobic PsbW protein contained one transmembrane span with its C-terminus exposed on the stroma side while the N-terminus faced the lumen side of the thylakoid membrane. Thus, despite that the protein had a typical lumenal targeting presequence, it was an integral membrane protein. Moreover, it had its N-terminus on the opposite side of the membrane compared to other PS II reaction centre proteins.

Photosynthetic performance and fluorescence in relation to antenna size and absorption cross-sections in rye and barley grown under normal and intermittent light conditions

The size of the Photosystem II light harvesting antenna and the absorption cross-sections of PS I (σPSI) and PS II (σPSII) were examined in relation to photosynthetic performance fluorescence. Wild-type (WT) rye (Secale cereale) and barley (Hordeurn vulgare) as well as the barley chlorophyllb-less chlorina F2 mutant were grown under control and intermittent light (IML) conditions. (σPSII) in control barley F2 was similar to IML grown WT rye and barley, which, in turn was 2.5 to 3.5 times smaller than for control WT plants. In contrast, σPSI was similar for all control plants. This was 2.5 to 4 times larger than for IML-grown WT plants. IML-grown barley mutant plants had the smallest absorption cross-sections. Photosynthetic light response curves revealed that the barley chlorina F2-mutant had rates of oxygen evolution on a per leaf area basis that were only slightly lower than control WT rye and barley while IML-grown plants had strongly reduced photosynthetic performance. Convexity (Θ) for control barley chlorina F2-mutants was equal to the WT controls (0.6-0.7), while all IML-grown plants had a Θ of 0. This indicates that, in contrast to control barley mutants, IML-plants were limited by PS II turn-over rates at all irradiances. However, on a per leaf Chl-basis the IML-grown plants exhibited the highest photosynthetic rates. Thus, the comparatively poor photosynthetic rates for IML-grown plants on a per leaf area basis were not due to less efficient photosynthetic reaction centers, but may rather be due to an increased limitation from PS II turn-over and a reduction in the number of reaction centers per leaf area.

Xanthophyll cycle and energy-dependent fluorescence quenching in leaves from pea plants grown under intermittent light

The possible role of zeaxanthin formation and antenna proteins in energy-dependent chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (qE) has been investigated. Intermittent-light-grown pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants that lack most of the chlorophyll a/b antenna proteins exhibited a significantly reduced qE upon illumination with respect to control plants. On the other hand, the violaxanthin content related to the number of reaction centers and to xanthophyll cycle activity, i.e. the conversion of violaxanthin into zeaxanthin, was found to be increased in the antenna-protein-depleted plants. Western blot analyses indicated that, with the exception of CP 26, the content of all chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins in these plants is reduced to less than 10% of control values. The results indicate that chlorophyll a/b-binding antenna proteins are involved in the energy-dependent fluorescence quenching but that only a part of qE can be attributed to quenching by chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins. It seems very unlikely that xanthophylls are exclusively responsible for the qE mechanism.

Transport of excitation energy in a doped molecular aggregate. III. numerical investigation of exciton hopping with various exciton‐depleting processes

AbstractA brute‐force numerical investigation has been carried out on the hopping of excitons in a three‐dimensional molecular aggregate. Possibilities of vibronic decay, rapid chemical reactions of saturated species, radiative decay of overpopulated molecules, and cooperative chemical reactions involving saturated exciton populations on traps of two different types have been considered. Investigation have been performed with two types of initial distribution of excitons—facial and random—and for 10,000 or, sometimes, for 20,000 time steps each of duration 1ps. Several interesting observations have been made from this computer experiment: (1) The total number of occurrences of fast reactions depends upon the initial distribution of excitons. (2) It decreases if other exciton depleting processes are at work. (3) It also depends on the pattern of placement of traps. (4) The location of impurities also affects the rate of occurrence of these reactions. Thus, more reactions occur when the excitons are initially concentrated on one face and traps are suitably located on the path of flow of these excitons. A random initial distribution tends to equilibrate the excitons quickly over all the lattice points, thus giving rise to fewer reactions. (5) The number of reactions need not necessarily increase with the number of reaction centers; in fact, it decreases as more centers are added when the supply of excitons is severely limited. (6) A Complicated dynamics results when different types of additional processes, viz., enhanced fluorescence, radiative emissions, and cooperative chemical reactions are simultaneously allowed. The cooperative process has been clearly found to dominate. A first‐order rate constant of about 108 s‐1 has been calculated for the occurrence of the cooperative process. This rate is affected when other nonconserving processes are switched on. Observations (1), (4), and (5) are the most important conclusions of our work. They lie outside the scope of traditional models such as the random walk model, the diffusion model, and the lattice model for the migration of excitons in a molecular aggregate. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Quantitative relationship between bacteriochlorophyll content, cytoplasmic membrane structure and chlorosome size in Chloroflexus aurantiacus

Continuous cultures of Chloroflexus aurantiacus were cultivated in a chemostat in the light with varying bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a/c ratios by changing the growth rate. Under these culture conditions all cells were homogeneously and reproducibly equipped with chlorosomes. In order to determine the number and size of chlorosomes in relation to different BChl contents morphometric measurements were performed on electron micrographs. The linear increase of BChl a contents coincided with an increasing number of chlorosomes per membrane area and per bacterium rather than with an enlargement of the average size of chlorosomes. The numbers of chlorosomes and therefore the percentage of chlorosome-covered cytoplasmic membrane increased linearly with increasing BChl a contents. The average size of the baseplates was largely constant in all cultures (mean 3,222±836 nm2). However, within individual cells the size of baseplates varied by a factor of 3.0, especially by the variation of the length. The exponential increase in BChl c contents coincided with an increasing number of chlorosomes (up to a factor of 2.3) and an enlargement of the average chlorosome volume (up to a factor of 1.9). The number of BChl a molecules per chlorosome was about 1,484±165, thus the number of reaction centers per chlorosome was 58±12. The data suggest, firstly, that BChl a is confined to areas (cytoplasmic membrane plus baseplate) as represented by the chlorosome attachment sites; secondly, that the degree of packing of BChl c molecules within chlorosomes increases with increasing BChl c contents.

Transient state characteristics of adaptation to changes in light conditions for the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii

Transitions in growth irradiance level from 92 to 7 μEm-2 s-1 and vice versa caused changes in the pigment contents and photosynthesis of Oscillatoria agardhii. The changes in chlorophyll a and C-phycocyanin contents during the transition from high to low irradiance (H→L) were reflected in photosynthetic parameters. In the L→H transition light utilization efficiencies of the cells changed faster than pigment contents. This appeared to be related to the lowering of light utilization efficiencies of photosynthesis. As a possible explanation it was hypothesized that excess photosynthate production led to feed back inhibition of photosynthesis. Time-scales of changes in the maximal rate of O2 evolution were discussed as changes in the number of reaction centers of photosystem II in relation to photosynthetic electron transport. Parameters that were subject to change during irradiance transitions obeyed first order kinetics, but hysteresis occurred when comparing H→L with L→H transients. Interpretation of first order kinetic analysis was discussed in terms of adaptive response vs changes in growth rate.

A master equation theory of fluorescence induction, photochemical yield, and singlet-triplet exciton quenching in photosynthetic systems

A master equation theory is formulated to describe the dependence of the fluorescence yield (phi) in photosynthetic systems on the number of photons (Y) absorbed per photosynthetic unit (or domain). This theory is applied to the calculation of the dependence of the fluorescence yield on Y in (a) fluorescence induction, and (b) singlet exciton-triplet excited-state quenching experiments. In both cases, the fluorescence yield depends on the number of previously absorbed photons per domain, and thus evolves in a nonlinear manner with increasing Y. In case a, excitons transform the photosynthetic reaction centers from a quenching state to a nonquenching state, or a lower efficiency of quenching state; subsequently, absorbed photons have a higher probability of decaying by radiative pathways and phi increases as Y increases. In case b, ground-state carotenoid molecules are converted to long-lived triplet excited-state quenchers, and phi decreases as Y increases. It is shown that both types of processes are formally described by the same theoretical equations that relate phi to Y. The calculated phi (Y) curves depend on two parameters m and R, where m is the number of reaction centers (or ground-state carotenoid molecules that can be converted to triplets), and R is the ratio phi (Y leads to infinity)/(Y leads to 0). The finiteness of the photosynthetic units is thus taken into account. The m = 1 case corresponds to the "puddle" model, and m leads to infinity to the "lake," or matrix, model. It is shown that the experimental phi (Y) curves for both fluorescence induction and singlet-triplet exciton quenching experiments are better described by the m leads to infinity cases than the m = 1 case.