A red-shifted chlorophyll.
Chlorophylls are essential for light-harvesting and energy transduction in photosynthesis. Four chemically distinct varieties have been known for the past 60 years. Here we report isolation of a fifth, which we designate chlorophyll f. Its in vitro absorption (706 nanometers) and fluorescence (722 nanometers) maxima are red-shifted compared to all other chlorophylls from oxygenic phototrophs. On the basis of the optical, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, we propose that chlorophyll f is [2-formyl]-chlorophyll a (C55H70O6N4Mg). This finding suggests that oxygenic photosynthesis can be extended further into the infrared region and may open associated bioenergy applications.
Chen
Min
M
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. min.chen@sydney.edu.au
Schliep
Martin
M
Willows
Robert D
RD
Cai
Zheng-Li
ZL
Neilan
Brett A
BA
Scheer
Hugo
H
D001429:Bacteriochlorophylls / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014904:Western Australia
D001429:Bacteriochlorophylls; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C120931:bacteriochlorophyll f