title: The effects of Triton X-100 and n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside on energy transfer in photosynthetic membranes.
abstract: The effects of the non-ionic detergents Triton X-100 and n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside on energy transfer between pigment-protein complexes of Pisum sativum thylakoids were investigated. This was done by monitoring the 77K fluorescence-emission characteristics of stacked and unstacked thylakoids exposed to a range of detergent concentrations. At sub-critical micellar concentrations, the detergents had little effect, whereas above these concentrations they caused increases of up to 20-fold in short-wavelength fluorescence intensity and a shift in its maximum wavelength from 685 to 680 nm. Fluorescence-emission intensities at 695 and 735 nm were relatively unaffected by detergent treatments, although Triton X-100 caused a wavelength shift in the emission peak from 735 to 728 nm. The results are discussed in terms of reversible dissociation of pigment-protein complexes induced by mild detergent solubilization and the consequent cessation of inter-complex energy transfer.
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004735:Energy Transfer / Q000187:drug effects; D007887:Fabaceae; D005960:Glucosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006027:Glycosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017830:Octoxynol; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D005960:Glucosides; D006027:Glycosides; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C021261:thylakoid polypeptides; C018619:octyl-beta-D-glucoside; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017830:Octoxynol