title: Primary charge separation in the photosystem II core from Synechocystis: a comparison of femtosecond visible/midinfrared pump-probe spectra of wild-type and two P680 mutants.
abstract: It is now quite well accepted that charge separation in PS2 reaction centers starts predominantly from the accessory chlorophyll B(A) and not from the special pair P(680). To identify spectral signatures of B(A,) and to further clarify the process of primary charge separation, we compared the femtosecond-infrared pump-probe spectra of the wild-type (WT) PS2 core complex from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 with those of two mutants in which the histidine residue axially coordinated to P(B) (D2-His(197)) has been changed to Ala or Gln. By analogy with the structure of purple bacterial reaction centers, the mutated histidine is proposed to be indirectly H-bonded to the C(9)=O carbonyl of the putative primary donor B(A) through a water molecule. The constructed mutations are thus expected to perturb the vibrational properties of B(A) by modifying the hydrogen bond strength, possibly by displacing the H-bonded water molecule, and to modify the electronic properties and the charge localization of the oxidized donor P(680)(+). Analysis of steady-state light-induced Fourier transform infrared difference spectra of the WT and the D2-His(197)Ala mutant indeed shows that a modification of the axially coordinating ligand to P(B) induces a charge redistribution of P(680)(+). In addition, a comparison of the time-resolved visible/midinfrared spectra of the WT and mutants has allowed us to investigate the changes in the kinetics of primary charge separation induced by the mutations and to propose a band assignment identifying the characteristic vibrations of B(A).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Free University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.forename: Rachel O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Diner
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Breton
authors.forename: Rienk
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Grondelle
authors.forename: Marie Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Groot
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008027:Light; D009154:Mutation; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011522:Protons; D055672:Static Electricity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D046939:Synechocystis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D011522:Protons