Measurement of the g-tensor of the P700+. signal from deuterated cyanobacterial photosystem I particles

Electronic Structure of the Primary Electron Donor P700+• in Photosystem I Studied by Multifrequency HYSCORE Spectroscopy at X- and Q-Band

The primary electron donor P₇₀₀ of the photosystem I (PSI) is a heterodimer consisting of two chlorophyll molecules. A series of electron-transfer events immediately following the initial light excitation leads to a stabilization of the positive charge by its cation radical form, P₇₀₀^+•. The electronic structure of P₇₀₀^+• and, in particular, its asymmetry with respect to the two chlorophyll monomers is of fundamental interest and is not fully understood up to this date. Here, we apply multifrequency X- (9 GHz) and Q-band (35 GHz) hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy to investigate the electron spin density distribution in the cation radical P₇₀₀^+• of PSI from a thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. Six ¹⁴N and two ¹H distinct nuclei have been resolved in the HYSCORE spectra and parameters of the corresponding nuclear hyperfine and quadrupolar hyperfine interactions were obtained by combining the analysis of HYSCORE spectral features with direct numerical simulations. Based on a close similarity of the nuclear quadrupole tensor parameters, all of the resolved ¹⁴N nuclei were assigned to six out of total eight available pyrrole ring nitrogen atoms (i.e., four in each of the chlorophylls), providing direct evidence of spin density delocalization over the both monomers in the heterodimer. Using the obtained experimental values of the ¹⁴N electron-nuclear hyperfine interaction parameters, the upper limit of the electron spin density asymmetry parameter is estimated as R_A/B^upper = 7.7 ± 0.5, while a tentative assignment of ¹⁴N observed in the HYSCORE spectra yields R_B/A = 3.1 ± 0.5.

Cationic penetrating antioxidants switch off Mn cluster of photosystem II in situ

Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (also known as 'Skulachev Ions' electrophoretically accumulated by mitochondria) exert anti-ageing and ROS-protecting effects well documented in animal and human cells. However, their effects on chloroplast in photosynthetic cells and corresponding mechanisms are scarcely known. For the first time, we describe a dramatic quenching effect of (10-(6-plastoquinonyl)decyl triphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) on chlorophyll fluorescence, apparently mediated by redox interaction of SkQ1 with Mn cluster in Photosystem II (PSII) of chlorophyte microalga Chlorella vulgaris and disabling the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). Microalgal cells displayed a vigorous uptake of SkQ1 which internal concentration built up to a very high level. Using optical and EPR spectroscopy, as well as electron donors and in silico molecular simulation techniques, we found that SkQ1 molecule can interact with Mn atoms of the OEC in PSII. This stops water splitting giving rise to potent quencher(s), e.g. oxidized reaction centre of PSII. Other components of the photosynthetic apparatus proved to be mostly intact. This effect of the Skulachev ions might help to develop in vivo models of photosynthetic cells with impaired OEC function but essentially intact otherwise. The observed phenomenon suggests that SkQ1 can be applied to study stress-induced damages to OEC in photosynthetic organisms.

Elucidating the design principles of photosynthetic electron-transfer proteins by site-directed spin labeling EPR spectroscopy

Site-directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL EPR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool to determine solvent accessibility, side-chain dynamics, and inter-spin distances at specific sites in biological macromolecules. This information provides important insights into the structure and dynamics of both natural and designed proteins and protein complexes. Here, we discuss the application of SDSL EPR spectroscopy in probing the charge-transfer cofactors in photosynthetic reaction centers (RC) such as photosystem I (PSI) and the bacterial reaction center (bRC). Photosynthetic RCs are large multi-subunit proteins (molecular weight≥300 kDa) that perform light-driven charge transfer reactions in photosynthesis. These reactions are carried out by cofactors that are paramagnetic in one of their oxidation states. This renders the RCs unsuitable for conventional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy investigations. However, the presence of native paramagnetic centers and the ability to covalently attach site-directed spin labels in RCs makes them ideally suited for the application of SDSL EPR spectroscopy. The paramagnetic centers serve as probes of conformational changes, dynamics of subunit assembly, and the relative motion of cofactors and peptide subunits. In this review, we describe novel applications of SDSL EPR spectroscopy for elucidating the effects of local structure and dynamics on the electron-transfer cofactors of photosynthetic RCs. Because SDSL EPR Spectroscopy is uniquely suited to provide dynamic information on protein motion, it is a particularly useful method in the engineering and analysis of designed electron transfer proteins and protein networks. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biodesign for Bioenergetics--the design and engineering of electronic transfer cofactors, proteins and protein networks, edited by Ronald L. Koder and J.L. Ross Anderson.

Selenium-induced protection of photosynthesis activity in rape (Brassica napus) seedlings subjected to cadmium stress. Fluorescence and EPR measurements

Fluorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements were used to study selenium influence on photosystem activity in rape seedlings affected by Cd stress. Water cultures containing Hoagland nutrients were supplemented with 400 microM of CdCl(2), 2 microM of Na(2)SeO(4) and a mixture of both CdCl(2) and Na(2)SeO(4). The seedlings were cultured till the first leaf reached about 1 cm in length. Cadmium-induced changes in the activity of both photosystems were partly diminished by Se presence in the nutrient medium. Electron microscopy photographs confirmed less degradation in chloroplasts of plants cultured on media containing Se. It is suggested that sucrose groups of starch, which is deposited in greater amounts in Cd-stressed plants, may act as traps for free radicals produced under those conditions.

Recruitment of a Foreign Quinone into the A1 Site of Photosystem I

In photosystem I (PS I), phylloquinone (PhQ) acts as a low potential electron acceptor during light-induced electron transfer (ET). The origin of the very low midpoint potential of the quinone is investigated by introducing anthraquinone (AQ) into PS I in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters. Solvent extraction and reincubation is used to obtain PS I particles containing AQ and the iron-sulfur clusters, whereas incubation of the menB rubA double mutant yields PS I with AQ in the PhQ site but no iron-sulfur clusters. Transient electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to investigate the orientation of AQ in the binding site and the ET kinetics. The low temperature spectra suggest that the orientation of AQ in all samples is the same as that of PhQ in native PS I. In PS I containing the iron sulfur clusters, (i) the rate of forward electron transfer from the AQ*- to F(X) is found to be faster than from PhQ*- to F(X), and (ii) the spin polarization patterns provide indirect evidence that the preceding ET step from A0*- to quinone is slower than in the native system. The changes in the kinetics are in accordance with the more negative reduction midpoint potential of AQ. Moreover, a comparison of the spectra in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters suggests that the midpoint potential of AQ is more negative in the presence of F(X). The electron transfer from the AQ- to F(X) is found to be thermally activated with a lower apparent activation energy than for PhQ in native PS I. The spin polarization patterns show that the triplet character in the initial state of P700)*+AQ*- increases with temperature. This behavior is rationalized in terms of a model involving a distribution of lifetimes/redox potentials for A0 and related competition between charge recombination and forward electron transfer from the radical pair P700*+A0*-.

P700: the primary electron donor of photosystem I

The primary electron donor of photosystem I, P700, is a chlorophyll species that in its excited state has a potential of approximately -1.2 V. The precise chemical composition and electronic structure of P700 is still unknown. Recent evidence indicates that P700 is a dimer of one chlorophyll (Chl) a and one Chl a'. The Chl a' and Chl a are axially coordinated by His residues provided by protein subunits PsaA and PsaB, respectively. The Chl a', but not the Chl a, is also H-bonded to the protein. The H-bonding is likely responsible for selective insertion of Chl a' into the reaction center. EPR studies of P700(+*) in frozen solution and single crystals indicate a large asymmetry in the electron spin and charge distribution towards one Chl of the dimer. Molecular orbital calculations indicate that H-bonding will specifically stabilize the Chl a'-side of the dimer, suggesting that the unpaired electron would predominantly reside on the Chl a. This is supported by results of specific mutagenesis of the PsaA and PsaB axial His residues, which show that only mutations of the PsaB subunit significantly alter the hyperfine coupling constants associated with a single Chl molecule. The PsaB mutants also alter the microwave induced triplet-minus-singlet spectrum indicating that the triplet state is localized on the same Chl. Excitonic coupling between the two Chl a of P700 is weak due to the distance and overlap of the porphyrin planes. Evidence of excitonic coupling is found in PsaB mutants which show a new bleaching band at 665 nm that likely represents an increased intensity of the upper exciton band of P700. Additional properties of P700 that may give rise to its unusually low potential are discussed.

Pulsed EPR spectroscopy: biological applications

Pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) methods such as ESEEM, PELDOR, relaxation time measurements, transient EPR, high-field/high-frequency EPR, and pulsed ENDOR, have been used successfully to investigate the local structure and dynamics of paramagnetic centers in biological samples. These methods allow different contributions to the EPR spectra to be distinguished and can help unravel complicated EPR spectra consisting of overlapping resonance lines, as are often found in disordered protein samples. The basic principles, specific potentials, technical requirements, and limitations of these advanced EPR techniques will be reviewed together with recent applications to metal centers, organic radicals, and spin labels in proteins.

A W-band pulsed ENDOR spectrometer: setup and application to transition metal centers

The design and performance of a 95 GHz pulsed W-band EPR/ENDOR spectrometer is described with emphasis on the ENDOR part. Its unique feature is the easy and fast sample exchange at 4.2 K for frozen solution and single crystal samples. In addition, the microwave bridge power output is relatively high (maximum 267 mW), which allows the application of short microwave pulses. This increases the sensitivity in echo experiments because of the broader excitation bandwidth and the possibility of employing short pulse intervals, as long as the dead time does not increase significantly with the power. The spectrometer features two microwave and radiofrequency (0.1-220 MHz, 3 kW pulse power) channels and a 6 T superconducting magnet in a solenoid configuration. The magnet is equipped with cryogenic sweep coils providing a sweep range of +/-0. 4 and +/-0.2 T for a center field of 0-4 and 4-6 T, respectively. The spectrometer performance is demonstrated on Cu(II) centers in single crystals, a zeolite polycrystalline sample, and a protein frozen solution.

Light-generated nuclear quantum beats: a signature of photosynthesis

Light-induced radical pairs in deuterated and deuterated plus 15N-substituted Synechococcus lividus cyanobacteria have been studied by transient EPR following pulsed laser excitation. Nuclear quantum beats are observed in the transverse electron magnetization at lower temperatures. Model calculations for the time profiles, evaluated at the high-field emissive maximum of the spectrum, indicate assignment of these coherences to nitrogen nuclei in the primary donor. Thorough investigation of the nuclear modulation patterns can provide detailed information on the electronic structure of the primary donor, providing insight into the mechanism of the primary events of plant photosynthesis.

Asymmetric binding of the primary acceptor quinone in reaction centers of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides R26, probed with Q-band (35 GHz) EPR spectroscopy

The reaction center (RC)-bound primary acceptor quinone QA of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides R26 functions as a one-electron gate. The radical anion QA.- is proposed to have an asymmetric electron distribution, induced by the protein environment. We replace the native ubiquinone-10 (UQ10) with specifically 13C-labelled UQ10, and use Q-band (35 GHz) EPR spectroscopy to investigate this phenomenon in closer detail. The direct observation of the 13C-hyperfine splitting of the gz-component of UQ10A.- in the RC and in frozen isopropanol shows that the electron spin distribution is symmetric in the isopropanol glass, and asymmetric in the RC. Our results allow qualitative assessment of the spin and charge distribution for QA.- in the RC. The carbonyl oxygen of the semiquinone anion nearest to the S = 2 Fe(2+)-ion and QB is shown to acquire the highest (negative) charge density.

Angular orientation of the stable tyrosyl radical within photosystem II by high-field 245-GHz electron paramagnetic resonance

The 4 K 245-GHz/8.7-T electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of the stable tyrosyl radical in photosystem II, known as TyrD., has been measured. Illumination at 200 K enhances the signal intensity of TyrD. by a factor of > 40 compared to the signal obtained from dark-adapted samples. This signal enhancement and the unusual line shape of the TyrD. resonance result from the magnetic dipolar coupling of the radical to the manganese cluster involved in oxygen evolution. The relative angular orientation of the manganese cluster with respect to TyrD. has been determined from line-shape analysis. The resonance arising from TyrD. in Tris-washed manganese-free photosystem II sample is also distorted. This effect probably originates from the influence of the nonheme iron on the spin relaxation of the tyrosyl radical. The relative angular orientation of the nonheme iron has also been determined. Oriented samples were used to determine the angular orientation of TyrD. with respect to the membrane plane. Combining angular data with published distances, we have constructed a three-dimensional picture of the relative positions of TyrD., the manganese cluster, and the nonheme iron. The data suggest a more symmetrical placement of the manganese relative to TyrD. and TyrZ, the tyrosine involved in electron transfer, than is usually assumed in current models of photosystem II.