Simplicity in complexity: the photosynthetic reaction center performs as a simple 0.2 V battery.
The photosynthetic reaction center is one of the most complicated molecular complexes. Transducing photon energy to a transmembrane electrochemical potential difference for protons, it is the direct or indirect energy source for virtually all life. We show here that it operates in a simple, battery-like manner, with a maximum potential of 0.20 V. Intriguingly this is only one fifth of the energy of the absorbed photon.
van Rotterdam
Bart J
BJ
Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, BioCentrum Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, NL-1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Crielaard
Wim
W
van Stokkum
Ivo H M
IH
Hellingwerf
Klaas J
KJ
Westerhoff
Hans V
HV
D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008027:Light; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D017494:Proton Pumps / Q000502:physiology*; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides
D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D017494:Proton Pumps