Redox potentials of primary electron acceptor quinone molecule (QA)- and conserved energetics of photosystem II in cyanobacteria with chlorophyll a and chlorophyll d

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 May 10;108(19):8054-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1100173108. Epub 2011 Apr 26.

Abstract

In a previous study, we measured the redox potential of the primary electron acceptor pheophytin (Phe) a of photosystem (PS) II in the chlorophyll d-dominated cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina and a chlorophyll a-containing cyanobacterium, Synechocystis. We obtained the midpoint redox potential (E(m)) values of -478 mV for A. marina and -536 mV for Synechocystis. In this study, we measured the redox potentials of the primary electron acceptor quinone molecule (Q(A)), i.e., E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)), of PS II and the energy difference between [P680·Phe a(-)·Q(A)] and [P680·Phe a·Q(A)(-)], i.e., ΔG(PhQ). The E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) of A. marina was determined to be +64 mV without the Mn cluster and was estimated to be -66 to -86 mV with a Mn-depletion shift (130-150 mV), as observed with other organisms. The E(m)(Phe a/Phe a(-)) in Synechocystis was measured to be -525 mV with the Mn cluster, which is consistent with our previous report. The Mn-depleted downshift of the potential was measured to be approximately -77 mV in Synechocystis, and this value was applied to A. marina (-478 mV); the E(m)(Phe a/Phe a(-)) was estimated to be approximately -401 mV. These values gave rise to a ΔG(PhQ) of -325 mV for A. marina and -383 mV for Synechocystis. In the two cyanobacteria, the energetics in PS II were conserved, even though the potentials of Q(A)(-) and Phe a(-) were relatively shifted depending on the special pair, indicating a common strategy for electron transfer in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzoquinones / metabolism*
  • Chlorophyll / metabolism
  • Chlorophyll A
  • Cyanobacteria / metabolism*
  • Electron Transport
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Pheophytins / metabolism
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex / metabolism*
  • Spinacia oleracea / metabolism
  • Synechocystis / metabolism

Substances

  • Benzoquinones
  • Pheophytins
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex
  • Chlorophyll
  • quinone
  • pheophytin a
  • chlorophyll d
  • Chlorophyll A