Functional reconstitution of photosynthetic reaction centers in planar lipid bilayers.
Planar lipid bilayers containing reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides R-26 were formed by apposing two reaction center-lipid monolayers formed from a reaction center-lipid complex in hexane. Secondary donors (cytochrome c) and acceptors (ubiquinone-0) were added on opposite sides of the membrane. Upon illumination, this system generated transient and steady-state voltages and currents. The wavelength dependence of the photoresponse matched the absorption spectrum of reaction centers. A simple model based on the transfer of charges across the membrane that explains the salient features of the photoresponse is presented.
Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093.
M
M
Schönfeld
M
M
Montal
G
G
Feher