title: Simplicity in complexity: the photosynthetic reaction center performs as a simple 0.2 V battery.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, BioCentrum Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, NL-1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: van Rotterdam
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Crielaard
authors.forename: Ivo H M
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: van Stokkum
authors.forename: Klaas J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hellingwerf
authors.forename: Hans V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Westerhoff
mesh_terms: D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008027:Light; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D017494:Proton Pumps / Q000502:physiology*; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides
chemical_list: D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D017494:Proton Pumps