title: Photosystem trap energies and spectrally-dependent energy-storage efficiencies in the Chl d-utilizing cyanobacterium, Acaryochloris marina.
abstract: Acaryochloris marina is the only species known to utilize chlorophyll (Chl) d as a principal photopigment. The peak absorption wavelength of Chl d is redshifted ≈40nm in vivo relative to Chl a, enabling this cyanobacterium to perform oxygenic phototrophy in niche environments enhanced in far-red light. We present measurements of the in vivo energy-storage (E-S) efficiency of photosynthesis in A. marina, obtained using pulsed photoacoustics (PA) over a 90-nm range of excitation wavelengths in the red and far-red. Together with modeling results, these measurements provide the first direct observation of the trap energies of PSI and PSII, and also the photosystem-specific contributions to the total E-S efficiency. We find the maximum observed efficiency in A. marina (40±1% at 735nm) is higher than in the Chl a cyanobacterium Synechococcus leopoliensis (35±1% at 690nm). The efficiency at peak absorption wavelength is also higher in A. marina (36±1% at 710nm vs. 31±1% at 670nm). In both species, the trap efficiencies are ≈40% (PSI) and ≈30% (PSII). The PSI trap in A. marina is found to lie at 740±5nm, in agreement with the value inferred from spectroscopic methods. The best fit of the model to the PA data identifies the PSII trap at 723±3nm, supporting the view that the primary electron-donor is Chl d, probably at the accessory (Chl(D1)) site. A decrease in efficiency beyond the trap wavelength, consistent with uphill energy transfer, is clearly observed and fit by the model. These results demonstrate that the E-S efficiency in A. marina is not thermodynamically limited, suggesting that oxygenic photosynthesis is viable in even redder light environments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Photobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA. spmielke@gmail.com
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Mielke
authors.forename: Nancy Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Kiang
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Blankenship
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mauzerall
mesh_terms: D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D010788:Photosynthesis; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D002734:Chlorophyll; C107509:chlorophyll d