Search

Photosystem I reaction centers of the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus are investigated using single-molecule spectroscopy and observations reveal that only a few chlorophylls are responsible for the photoemission from the Photosystem I (PSI) trimer. This implies an efficient energy transfer between the monomeric subunits of the PSI trimer and shows an efficient triplet state quenching of the red chlorophylls.

Research demonstrates that stabilization of the circular symmetric arrangement of the bacteriochlorophyll pigments is mediated by the interaction of the reaction center with the light harvesting complex 1 as determined by single molecule microscopy, cryoelectronmicroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Data show an elliptical distortion of the light harvesting complex 1 induced by the reaction center.