Search

The high-resolution crystal structure of the trimeric major light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHCII) is often perceived as the basis for understanding its light-harvesting and photoprotective functions. However, the LHCII solution structure and its oligomerization or aggregation state may generally differ from the crystal structure and, moreover, also depend on its functional state. In this regard, small-angle scattering experiments provide the missing link by offering structural information in aqueous solution at physiological temperatures. Herein, we use small-angle scattering to investigate the solution structures of two different preparations of solubilized LHCII employing the nonionic detergents n-octyl-β-d-glucoside (OG) and n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (β-DM). The data reveal that the LHCII-OG complex is equivalent to the trimeric crystal structure. Remarkably, however, we observe─for the first time─a stable oligomer composed of three LHCII trimers in the case of the LHCII-β-DM preparation, implying additional pigment-pigment interactions. The latter complex is assumed to mimic trimer-trimer interactions which play an important role in the context of photoprotective nonphotochemical quenching.

Trimeric photosystem I from the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus (TePSI) is an intrinsic membrane protein, which converts solar energy into electrical energy by oxidizing the soluble redox mediator cytochrome c6 (Cyt c6) and reducing ferredoxin. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to characterize the transient binding of Cyt c6 to TePSI. The structure of TePSI cross-linked to Cyt c6 was solved at a resolution of 2.9 A and shows additional cofactors as well as side chain density for 84% of the peptide chain of subunit PsaK, revealing a hydrophobic, membrane intrinsic loop that enables binding of associated proteins. Due to the poor binding specificity, Cyt c6 could not be localized with certainty in our cryo-EM analysis. SANS measurements confirm that Cyt c6 does not bind to TePSI at protein concentrations comparable to those for cross-linking. However, SANS data indicate a complex formation between TePSI and the non-native mitochondrial cytochrome from horse heart (Cyt cHH). Our study pinpoints the difficulty of identifying very small binding partners (less than 5% of the overall size) in EM structures when binding affinities are poor. We relate our results to well resolved co-structures with known binding affinities and recommend confirmatory methods for complexes with KM values higher than 20 μM.

Orange carotenoid proteins (OCPs) are photoswitchable macromolecules playing an important role in nonphotochemical quenching of excess energy in cyanobacterial light harvesting. Upon absorption of a blue photon (450–500 nm), OCPs undergo a structural change from the ground state OCPO to the active state OCPR, but high-resolution structures of the active state OCPR are not yet available. Here, we use small-angle scattering methods combined with simulation tools to determine low-resolution structures of the active state at low protein concentrations via two approaches: first, directly by in situ illumination of wild-type OCP achieving a turnover to the active state of >90% and second, by using the mutant OCPW288A anticipated to mimic the active state structure. Data fits assuming the shape of an ellipsoid yield three ellipsoidal radii of about 9, 29, and 51 ± 1 Å, in the case of the ground state OCPO. In the active state, however, the molecule becomes somewhat narrower with the two smaller radii being 9 and only 19 ± 3 Å, while the third dimension of the ellipsoid is significantly elongated to 85–92 ± 5 Å. Reconstitutions of the active state structure corroborate that OCPR is significantly elongated compared to the ground state OCPO and characterized by a separation of the N-terminal and C-terminal domains with unfolded N-terminal extension. By direct comparison of small-angle scattering data, we directly show that the mutant OCPW288A can be used as a structural analogue of the active state OCPR. The small-angle experiments are repeated for OCPO and the mutant OCPW288A at high protein concentrations of 50–65 mg/mL required for neutron spectroscopy investigating the molecular dynamics of OCP (see accompanying paper). The results reveal that the OCPO and OCPW288A samples for dynamics experiments are preferentially dimeric and widely resemble the structures of the ground and active states of OCP, respectively. This enables us to properly characterize the molecular dynamics of both states of OCP in the accompanying paper.

Orange carotenoid proteins (OCPs), which are protecting cyanobacterial light-harvesting antennae from photodamage, undergo a pronounced structural change upon light absorption. In addition, the active state is anticipated to boost a significantly higher molecular flexibility similar to a "molten globule" state. Here, we used quasielastic neutron scattering to directly characterize the vibrational and conformational molecular dynamics of OCP in its ground and active states, respectively, on the picosecond time scale. At a temperature of 100 K, we observe mainly (vibronic) inelastic features with peak energies at 5 and 6 meV (40 and 48 cm

We used elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS) to find out if structural changes accompanying local hydrogen bond rupture are also reflected in global dynamical response of the protein complex. Chromatophore membranes from LH2-only strains of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, with spheroidenone or neurosporene as the major carotenoids, were subjected to high hydrostatic pressure at ambient temperature. Optical spectroscopy conducted at high pressure confirmed rupture of tertiary structure hydrogen bonds. In parallel, we used EINS to follow average motions of the hydrogen atoms in LH2, which reflect the flexibility of this complex. A decrease of the average atomic mean square displacements of hydrogen atoms was observed up to a pressure of 5 kbar in both carotenoid samples due to general stiffening of protein structures, while at higher pressures a slight increase of the displacements was detected in the neurosporene mutant LH2 sample only. These data show a correlation between the local pressure-induced breakage of H-bonds, observed in optical spectra, with the altered protein dynamics monitored by EINS. The slightly higher compressibility of the neurosporene mutant sample shows that even subtle alterations of carotenoids are manifested on a larger scale and emphasize a close connection between the local structure and global dynamics of this membrane protein complex.

High-resolution structures of photosynthetic pigment–protein complexes are often determined using crystallography or cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), which are restricted to the use of protein crystals or to low temperatures, respectively. However, functional studies and biotechnological applications of photosystems necessitate the use of proteins isolated in aqueous solution, so that the relevance of high-resolution structures has to be independently verified. In this regard, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS, respectively) can serve as the missing link because of their capability to provide structural information for proteins in aqueous solution at physiological temperatures. In the present review, we discuss the principles and prototypical applications of SANS and SAXS using the photosynthetic pigment–protein complexes phycocyanin (PC) and Photosystem I (PSI) as model systems for a water-soluble and for a membrane protein, respectively. For example, the solution structure of PSI was studied using SAXS and SANS with contrast matching. A Guinier analysis reveals that PSI in solution is virtually free of aggregation and characterized by a radius of gyration of about 75 Å. The latter value is about 10% larger than expected from the crystal structure. This is corroborated by an ab initio structure reconstitution, which also shows a slight expansion of Photosystem I in buffer solution at room temperature. In part, this may be due to conformational states accessible by thermally activated protein dynamics in solution at physiological temperatures. The size of the detergent belt is derived by comparison with SANS measurements without detergent match, revealing a monolayer of detergent molecules under proper solubilization conditions. Eesti Teadusfondi

Albeit achieving the X-ray diffraction structure of dimeric photosystem II core complexes (dPSIIcc) at the atomic resolution, the nature of the detergent belt surrounding dPSIIcc remains ambiguous. Therefore, the solution structure of the whole detergent-protein complex of dPSIIcc of Thermosynechococcus elongatus (T. elongatus) solubilized in n-dodecyl-s-d-maltoside (sDM) was investigated by a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with contrast variation. First, the structure of dPSIIcc was studied separately in SANS experiments using a contrast of 5% D2O. Guinier analysis reveals that the dPSIIcc solution is virtually free of aggregation in the studied concentration range of 2-10 mg/mL dPSIIcc, and characterized by a radius of gyration of 62 A. A structure reconstitution shows that dPSIIcc in buffer solution widely retains the crystal structure reported by X-ray free electron laser studies at room temperature with a slight expansion of the entire protein. Additional SANS experiments on dPSIIcc samples in a buffer solution containing 75% D2O provide information about the size and shape of the whole detergent-dPSIIcc. The maximum position of P(r) function increases to 68 A, i.e., it is about 6 A larger than that of dPSIIcc only, thus indicating the presence of an additional structure. Thus, it can be concluded that dPSIIcc is surrounded by a monomolecular belt of detergent molecules under appropriate solubilization conditions. The homogeneity of the sDM-dPSIIcc solutions was also verified using dynamic light scattering. Complementary SAXS experiments indicate the presence of unbound detergent micelles by a separate peak consistent with a spherical shape possessing a radius of about 40 A. The latter structure also contributes to the SANS data but rather broadens the SANS curve artificially. Without the simultaneous inspection of SANS and SAXS data, this effect may lead to an apparent underestimation of the size of the PS II-detergent complex. The formation of larger unbound detergent aggregates in solution prior to crystallization may have a significant effect on the crystal formation or quality of the sDM-dPSIIcc.

The structure of phycobiliproteins of the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina was investigated in buffer solution at physiological temperatures, i.e. under the same conditions applied in spectroscopic experiments, using small angle neutron scattering. The scattering data of intact phycobiliproteins in buffer solution containing phosphate can be well described using a cylindrical shape with a length of about 225 A and a diameter of approximately 100 A. This finding is qualitatively consistent with earlier electron microscopy studies reporting a rod-like shape of the phycobiliproteins with a length of about 250 (M. Chen et al., FEBS Letters 583, 2009, 2535) or 300 A (J. Marquart et al., FEBS Letters 410, 1997, 428). In contrast, phycobiliproteins dissolved in buffer lacking phosphate revealed a splitting of the rods into cylindrical subunits with a height of 28 A only, but also a pronounced sample aggregation. Complementary small angle neutron and X-ray scattering experiments on phycocyanin suggest that the cylindrical subunits may represent either trimeric phycocyanin or trimeric allophycocyanin. Our findings are in agreement with the assumption that a phycobiliprotein rod with a total height of about 225 A can accommodate seven trimeric phycocyanin subunits and one trimeric allophycocyanin subunit, each of which having a height of about 28 A. The structural information obtained by small angle neutron and X-ray scattering can be used to interpret variations in the low-energy region of the 4.5 K absorption spectra of phycobiliproteins dissolved in buffer solutions containing and lacking phosphate, respectively.

Until recently, it was believed that the CP29 protein from higher plant photosystem II (PSII) contains 8 chlorophylls (Chl's) per complex (Ahn et al. Science 2008, 320, 794-797; Bassi et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1999, 96, 10056-10061) in contrast to the 13 Chl's revealed by the recent X-ray structure (Pan et al. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2011, 18, 309-315). This disagreement presents a constraint on the interpretation of the underlying electronic structure of this complex. To shed more light on the interpretation of various experimental optical spectra discussed in the accompanying paper (part I, DOI 10.1021/jp4004328 ), we report here calculated low-temperature (5 K) absorption, fluorescence, hole-burned (HB), and 300 K circular dichroism (CD) spectra for CP29 complexes with a different number of pigments. We focus on excitonic structure and the nature of the low-energy state using modeling based on the X-ray structure of CP29 and Redfield theory. We show that the lowest energy state is mostly contributed to by a612, a611, and a615 Chl's. We suggest that in the previously studied CP29 complexes from spinach (Pieper et al. Photochem. Photobiol.2000, 71, 574-589) two Chl's could have been lost during the preparation/purification procedure, but it is unlikely that the spinach CP29 protein contains only eight Chl's, as suggested by the sequence homology-based study (Bassi et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.1999, 96, 10056-10061). The likely Chl's missing in wild-type (WT) CP29 complexes studied previously (Pieper et al. Photochem. Photobiol. 2000, 71, 574-589) include a615 and b607. This is why the nonresonant HB spectra shown in that reference were ~1 nm blue-shifted with the low-energy state mostly localized on about one Chl a (i.e., a612) molecule. Pigment composition of CP29 is discussed in the context of light-harvesting and excitation energy transfer.

The structure of monomeric and trimeric photosystem I (PS I) of Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP1 (T. elongatus) was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The scattering data reveal that the protein-detergent complexes possess radii of gyration of 58 and 78 Å in the cases of monomeric and trimeric PS I, respectively. The results also show that the samples are monodisperse, virtually free of aggregation, and contain empty detergent micelles. The shape of the protein-detergent complexes can be well approximated by elliptical cylinders with a height of 78 Å. Monomeric PS I in buffer solution exhibits minor and major radii of the elliptical cylinder of about 50 and 85 Å, respectively. In the case of trimeric PS I, both radii are equal to about 110 Å. The latter model can be shown to accommodate three elliptical cylinders equal to those describing monomeric PS I. A structure reconstitution also reveals that the protein-detergent complexes are larger than their respective crystal structures. The reconstituted structures are larger by about 20 Å mainly in the region of the hydrophobic surfaces of the monomeric and trimeric PS I complexes. This seeming contradiction can be resolved by the addition of a detergent belt constituted by a monolayer of dodecyl-β-D-maltoside molecules. Assuming a closest possible packing, a number of roughly 1024 and 1472 detergent molecules can be determined for monomeric and trimeric PS I, respectively. Taking the monolayer of detergent molecules into account, the solution structure can be almost perfectly modeled by the crystal structures of monomeric and trimeric PS I.

Vibrational and conformational protein dynamics of photosystem II (PS II) membrane fragments from spinach were investigated by elastic and inelastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS and IINS). As to the EINS experiments, the average atomic mean square displacement values of PS II membrane fragments hydrated at a relative humidity of 57% exhibit a dynamical transition at ~230K. In contrast, the dynamical transition was absent at a relative humidity of 44%. These findings are in agreement with previous studies which reported a “freezing” of protein mobility due to dehydration (Pieper et al. (2008) Eur. Biophys. J. 37: 657–663) and its correlation with an inhibition of electron transfer from QA− to QB (Kaminskaya et al. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 8119–8132). IINS spectra of a sample hydrated at a relative humidity of 57% show a distinct Boson peak at ~7.5meV at 20K, which shifts towards lower energy values upon temperature increase to 250K. This unexpected effect is interpreted in terms of a “softening” of the protein matrix along with the onset of conformational protein dynamics as revealed by the EINS experiments. Information on the density of vibrational states of pigment–protein complexes is important for a realistic calculation of excitation energy transfer kinetics and spectral lineshapes and is often routinely obtained by optical line-narrowing spectroscopy at liquid helium temperature. The data presented here demonstrate that IINS is a valuable experimental tool in determining the density of vibrational states not only at cryogenic, but also at nearly physiological temperatures up to 250K. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial.

Difference fluorescence line-narrowing spectroscopy at 4.5 K was employed to investigate electron-phonon and electron-vibrational coupling strengths of the lower exciton level of water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) from cauliflower reconstituted with chlorophyll a or chlorophyll b, respectively. The electron-phonon coupling is found to be moderate with integral Huang-Rhys factors S in the order of 0.81-0.85. A weak dependence of S on excitation wavelength within the inhomogeneously broadened fluorescence origin band is attributed to a sizable contribution of nonresonant excitation that varies with excitation wavelength. The strongly asymmetric and highly structured one-phonon profile is characterized by a peak phonon frequency (ω(m)) of ~24 cm(-1) and further discernible peaks at 48 and 88 cm(-1), respectively. A structural assignment of this unusual one-phonon profile is proposed. As will be shown in the accompanying paper (part II) (DOI 10.1021/jp111457t), the parameters of electron-phonon coupling readily account for shape and position of the fluorescence origin bands at 666.1 and 683.8 nm for chlorophyll b- and chlorophyll a-WSCP, respectively. A rich structure of S(1)→S(0) vibrational frequencies was resolved in the wavenumber range between 180 and 1665 cm(-1) for both chlorophyll a- and chlorophyll b-WSCP. The corresponding individual Huang-Rhys factors fall in the range between 0.0011 and 0.0500. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S-factors for vibrational modes of chlorophyll b. Most remarkable is the presence of two additional modes at 228 and 327 cm(-1) compared with the vibrational spectrum of chlorophyll in solution. The additional modes can most likely be attributed to H-bond formation in the vicinity of the chlorophyll molecule bound by WSCP.

44 Pag., 2 Tabl. The definitive version is available at: http://pubs.acs.org/journal/jpcbfk, The parameters of barrier distributions on the protein energy landscape in the excited electronic state of the pigment/protein system have been determined by means of spectral hole burning for the lowest-energy pigments of CP43 core antenna complex and CP29 minor antenna complex of spinach Photosystem II (PS II) as well as of trimeric and monomeric LHCII complexes transiently associated with the pea Photosystem I (PS I) pool. All of these complexes exhibit sixty to several hundred times lower spectral hole burning yields as compared with molecular glassy solids previously probed by means of the hole growth kinetics measurements. Therefore, the entities (groups of atoms), which participate in conformational changes in protein, appear to be significantly larger and heavier than those in molecular glasses. No evidence of a small (1 cm−1) spectral shift tier of the spectral diffusion dynamics has been observed. Therefore, our data most likely reflect the true barrier distributions of the intact protein and not those related to the interface or surrounding host. Possible applications of the barrier distributions as well as the assignments of low-energy states of CP29 and LHCII are discussed in light of the above results., Research at Concordia University is supported by NSERC and CFI. R.P. would like to thank Spanish MICINN (grant AGL2008-00377). M.S. acknowledges the contribution of the Photosynthetic Systems Program, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Basic Energy Sciences, USDOE. J.P. and K.-D.I. gratefully acknowledge support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 429, TP A1, and TP A3, respectively).

Incoherent inelastic neutron scattering experiments were performed on Na0.7CoO2 and Na0.28CoO2.1.3H2O in order to understand how the dynamics of the hydrogen-bond network of water is modified in the triangular crystalline lattice NaxCoO2.yH2O. Using quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), we were able to differentiate between two types of proton dynamics: a fast process (due to water strongly bound into the sodium cobalt oxyhydrate structure during the hydration process) and a slow process (likely attributable to a collective motion). High-resolution QENS experiments, carried out on Na0.28CoO2.1.3H2O, show that, at temperatures above 310 K, the water dynamics can be well-described by a random jump diffusion model characterized by a diffusion constant equal to 0.9 x 10(-9)m2/s, which is significantly lower than the rate of diffusion for bulk water. Furthermore, our results indicate that, at room temperature, the sodium ions have no influence on the rotational dynamics of the "fast" water molecules.

Light harvesting and excitation energy transfer in photosynthesis are relatively well understood at cryogenic temperatures up to ∼100 K, where crystal structures of several photosynthetic complexes including the major antenna complex of green plants (LHC II) are available at nearly atomic resolution. The situation is much more complex at higher or even physiological temperatures, because the spectroscopic properties of antenna complexes typically undergo drastic changes above ∼100 K. We have addressed this problem using a combination of quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) and optical spectroscopy on native LHC II and mutant samples lacking the Chl 2/Chl a 612 pigment molecule. Absorption difference spectra of the Chl 2/Chl a 612 mutant of LHC II reveal pronounced changes of spectral position and their widths above temperatures as low as ∼80 K. The complementary QENS data indicate an onset of conformational protein motions at about the same temperature. This finding suggests that excited state positions in LHC II are affected by protein dynamics on the picosecond time scale. In more detail, this means that at cryogenic temperatures the antenna complex is trapped in certain protein conformations. At higher temperature, however, a variety of conformational substates with different spectral position may be thermally accessible. At the same time, an analysis of the widths of the absorption difference spectra of Chl 2/Chl a 612 reveals three different reorganization energies or Huang-Rhys factors in different temperature ranges, respectively. These findings imply that (dynamic) pigment-protein interactions fine-tune electronic energy levels and electron-phonon coupling of LHC II for efficient excitation energy transfer at physiological temperatures.

Results of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments are reported for the solubilized trimeric light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHC II) in the temperature range from 5 to 100 K. Two...

This short review summarizes our current knowledge about the functional relevance of protein dynamics in photosynthetic reaction centers. In the case of Photosystem II membrane fragments, elastic and quasielastic neutron scattering experiments reveal a dynamical transition at about 240 K corresponding to the activation of picosecond molecular motions. Likewise, a “freezing” of molecular dynamics is observed upon dehydration. Intriguingly, these effects correlate with the pronounced temperature- and hydration-dependence of specific electron transfer steps in Photosystem II indicating that molecular dynamics is an indispensable prerequisite for its function. Thus, electron transfer in Photosystem II appears to be a prototypical example for a dynamics-function correlation. Finally, the laser-neutron pump-probe technique is shown to permit in-situ monitoring of molecular dynamics in specific functional states of a protein in real time.

Vibrational dynamics of the light-harvesting complex II (LHC II) from spinach was investigated by quasi- and inelastic neutron scattering (QENS and INS) at three different temperatures of 80, 160, and 285 K. QENS/INS spectra of solubilised LHC II and of the corresponding buffer solution were obtained separately and exhibit characteristic inelastic features. After subtraction of the buffer contribution, the INS spectrum of LHC II reveals a distinct Boson peak at ∼ 2.5 meV at 80 K that shifts towards lower energies if the temperature is increased to 285 K. This effect is interpreted in terms of a “softening” of the protein matrix along with the dynamical transition at ∼ 240 K. Our findings indicate that INS is a valuable method to obtain the density of vibrational states not only at cryogenic, but also at physiological temperatures.

Properties of biomembranes are modified in presence of additives such as cholesterol (chol) or proteins. Azobenzene-cholesterol (azo-chol) is a photoactive variety of chol since its azo-headgroup exhibits a reversible change of the conformation upon illumination (365nm: trans to cis; 455nm: cis to trans). Quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) was applied to resolve lipid dynamics within biomimetic membranes consisting of a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-phosphatidyl-choline (POPC) matrix with embedded azo-chol in either of the two conformational states. A pure POPC membrane and also a POPC membrane with inactive chol were used as control systems. The results report on the fast intramolecular motion of the protons in the POPC chains, a slow hop diffusion and an even slower mode both of the whole POPC molecule. The intramolecular motion and the hop diffusion are modified by the presence of azo-chol in the host membrane as compared with the control systems, but do not depend on the isomerization state. The slowest mode is though sensitive to the isomerization. The findings show the capacity of azo-chol for tuning the dynamics and most probably also the structures of the host lipid membrane though photoactivation.

In adaption to its specific environmental conditions, the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina developed two different types of light-harvesting complexes: chlorophyll-d-containing membrane-intrinsic complexes and phycocyanobilin (PCB) — containing phycobiliprotein (PBP) complexes. The latter complexes are believed to form a rod-shaped structure comprising three homo-hexamers of phycocyanin (PC), one hetero-hexamer of phycocyanin and allophycocyanin (APC) and probably a linker protein connecting the PBPs to the reaction centre. Excitation energy transfer and electron-vibrational coupling in PBPs have been investigated by selectively excited fluorescence spectra. The data reveal a rich spectral substructure with a total of five low-energy electronic states with fluorescence bands at 635nm, 645nm, 654nm, 659nm and a terminal emitter at about 673nm. The electronic states at ~635 and 645nm are tentatively attributed to PC and APC, respectively, while an apparent heterogeneity among PC subunits may also play a role. The other fluorescence bands may be associated with three different isoforms of the linker protein. Furthermore, a large number of vibrational features can be identified for each electronic state with intense phonon sidebands peaking at about 31 to 37cm−1, which are among the highest phonon frequencies observed for photosynthetic antenna complexes. The corresponding Huang-Rhys factors S fall in the range between 0.98 (terminal emitter), 1.15 (APC), and 1.42 (PC). Two characteristic vibronic lines at about 1580 and 1634cm−1 appear to reflect CNH+ and CC stretching modes of the PCB chromophore, respectively. The exact phonon and vibrational frequencies vary with electronic state implying that the respective PCB chromophores are bound to different protein environments. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: Keys to Produce Clean Energy.

Recent structural data revealed that the CP29 protein of higher plant photosystem II (PSII) contains 13 chlorophylls (Chl's) per complex (Pan et al. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2011, 18, 309), i.e., five Chl's more than in the predicted CP29 homology-based structure model (Bassi et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1999, 96, 10056). This lack of consensus presents a constraint on the interpretation of CP29 optical spectra and their underlying electronic structure. To address this problem, we present new low-temperature (5 K) absorption, fluorescence, and hole-burned (HB) spectra for CP29 proteins from spinach, which are compared with the previously reported data. We focus on excitation energy transfer (EET) and the nature of the lowest-energy state(s). We argue that CP29 proteins previously studied by HB spectroscopy lacked at least one Chl a molecule (i.e., a615 or a611), which along with Chl a612 contribute to the lowest energy state in more intact CP29, and one Chl b (most likely b607). This is why the low-energy state and fluorescence maxima reported by Pieper et al. (Photochem. Photobiol.2000, 71, 574) were blue-shifted by ~1 nm, the low-energy state appeared to be highly localized on a single Chl a molecule, and the position of the low-energy state was independent of burning fluence. In contrast, the position of the nonresonant HB spectrum shifts blue with increasing fluence in intact CP29, as this state is strongly contributed to by several pigments (i.e., a611, a612, a615, and a610). Zero-phonon hole widths obtained for the Chl b band at 638.5 nm (5 K) revealed two independent Chl b → Chl a EET times, i.e., 4 ± 0.5 and 0.4 ± 0.1 ps. The latter value is a factor of 2 faster than previously observed by HB spectroscopy and very similar to the one observed by Gradinaru et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2000, 104, 9330) in pump-probe experiments. EET time from 650 nm Chl b → Chl a and downward EET from Chl(s) a state(s) at 665 nm occurs in 4.9 ± 0.7 ps. These findings provide important constraints for excitonic calculations that are discussed in the accompanying paper (part II, DOI 10.1021/jp4004278 ).

Persistent spectral hole burning at 4.5 K has been used to investigate the excitonic energy level structure and the excited state dynamics of the recombinant class-IIa water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) from cauliflower. The hole-burned spectra are composed of four main features: (i) a narrow zero-phonon hole (ZPH) at the burn wavelength, (ii) a number of vibrational ZPHs, (iii) a broad low-energy hole at ~665 and ~683 nm for chlorophyll b- and chlorophyll a-WSCP, respectively, and (iv) a second satellite hole at ~658 and ~673 nm for chlorophyll b- and chlorophyll a-WSCP, respectively. The doublet of broad satellite holes is assigned to an excitonically coupled chlorophyll dimer. The lower-energy holes at ~665 and ~683 nm for chlorophyll b- and chlorophyll a-WSCP, respectively, represent the lower exciton states. Taking into account the parameters of electron-phonon coupling, the lower exciton state can be assigned as the fluorescence origin. The lower exciton state is populated by two processes: (i) exciton relaxation from the higher exciton state and (ii) vibrational relaxation within the lower exciton state. Assuming identical site energies for the two excitonically coupled chlorophyll molecules, the dipole-dipole interaction energy J is directly determined to be 85 and 100 cm(-1) for chlorophyll b- and chlorophyll a-WSCP, respectively, based on the positions of the satellite holes. The Gaussian low-energy absorption band identified by constant fluence hole burning at 4.5 K has a width of ~150 cm(-1) and peaks at 664.9 and 682.7 nm for chlorophyll b- and chlorophyll a-WSCP, respectively. The action spectrum is broader and blue-shifted compared to the fluorescent lower exciton state. This finding can be explained by a slow protein relaxation between energetically inequivalent conformational substates within the lowest exciton state in agreement with the results of Schmitt et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B2008, 112, 13951).

Persistent nonphotochemical hole burning and delta-FLN spectra obtained at 4.5 K are reported for monomeric chlorophyll (Chl) a/b light-harvesting complexes of photosystem II (LHC II) of green plants. The hole burned spectra of monomeric LHC II appear to be similar to those obtained before for trimeric LHC II (Pieper et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 1999, 103, 2412). They are composed of three main features: (i) a homogeneously broadened zero-phonon hole coincident with the burn wavelength, (ii) an intense, broad hole in the vicinity of approximately 680 nm as a result of efficient excitation energy transfer to a low-energy trap state, and (iii) a satellite hole at approximately 649 nm which is correlated with the low-energy 680 nm hole. Zero-phonon hole action spectroscopy reveals that the low-energy absorption band is located at 679.6 nm and possesses a width of approximately 110 cm(-1) which is predominantly due to inhomogeneous broadening at 4.5 K. The electron-phonon coupling of the above-mentioned low-energy state(s) is weak with a Huang-Rhys factor S in the order of 0.6 and a peak phonon frequency (omega(m)) of approximately 22 cm(-1) within a broad and strongly asymmetric one-phonon profile. The resulting Stokes shift 2S omega(m) of approximately 26.4 cm(-1) readily explains the position of the fluorescence origin band at 680.8 nm. Thus, we conclude that the 679.6 nm state(s) is (are) the fluorescent state(s) of monomeric LHC II at 4.5 K. The absorption intensity of the lowest Q(y) state is shown to roughly correspond to that of one out of the eight Chl a molecules bound in the monomeric subunit. In addition, the satellite hole structure produced by hole burning within the 679.6 nm state is weak with only one shallow satellite hole observed in the Chl b spectral range at 648.8 nm. These results suggest that the 679.6 nm state is widely localized on a Chl a molecule, which may belong to a Chl a/b heterodimer. These characteristics are different from those expected for Chl a612, which has been associated with the fluorescent state at room temperature. Alternatively, the 679.6 nm state may be assigned to Chl a604, which is located in a cluster with several Chl b molecules resulting in a relatively weak excitonic coupling.

Electron-phonon and electron-vibrational coupling strengths of a weakly (excitonically) coupled chlorophyll a S 1 → S 0 transition of the CP29 antenna complex of plant photosystem II were studied by difference fluorescence-line-narrowing spectroscopy at 4.5 K. A strong, almost linear increase of the electron-phonon coupling strength toward longer wavelengths was observed, with Huang-Rhys factors S ph increasing from 0.41 ± 0.05 at 680 nm to about 0.66 ± 0.07 at 688 nm. The former and latter wavelengths are located close to the peak and on the red edge of the inhomogeneous site distribution function, respectively. The experimentally obtained wavelength dependence of S ph may originate either from an alteration of the electron-phonon coupling strength by the local environment of the fluorescing chromophore and/or from the presence of two isoforms of CP29, which are characterized by different coupling strengths to the protein environment. The one-phonon profile peaks at aim = 22 cm -1 and is described by an asymmetric function composed of a Gaussian low-energy wing and a Lorentzian high-energy tail with half-widths at half-maximum of 10 ± 1 and 60 ± 10 cm -1 , respectively. Thirty-nine individual vibrational modes between 90 and 1665 cm -1 were resolved, and their Huang-Rhys factors were determined, which fall in the range between 0.0004 and 0.032. The broad feature present in the overlap region of phonon and vibrational modes at about 90 cm -1 is characterized by S = 0.048. An integral value of vibrational coupling strengths S vib = 0.36 ± 0.05 was determined, which is similar to that observed earlier for the trimeric LHC II complex.

Graphite oxide is an inorganic multilayer system that preserves the layered structure of graphite but not the conjugated bond structure. In the past few years, detailed studies of the static structure of graphite oxide were carried out. This was mainly done by NMR investigations and led to a new structural model of graphite oxide. The layer distance of graphite oxide increases with increasing humidity level, giving rise to different spacings of the carbon layers in the range from 6 to 12 A. As a consequence, different types of motions of water and functional groups appear. Information about the mobility of the water molecules is not yet complete but is crucial for the understanding of the structure of the carbon layers as well as the intercalation process. In this paper, the hydration- and temperature-dependent dynamic behavior of graphite oxide will be investigated by quasielastic neutron scattering using the time-of-flight spectrometer NEAT at the Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin. The character of the embedded water does not change over a wide range of hydration levels. Especially the interlayer water remains tightly bound and does not show any translational motion. In samples with excess water, however, the water is also distributed in noninterlayer voids, leading to the observation of additional motions of bulklike or confined water. The dynamic behavior of hydrated graphite oxide can be described by a consistent model that combines two two-site jump motions for the motions of the water molecules and the motions of OH groups.

This study presents quasielastic neutron scattering data of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) and the corresponding buffer solution at room temperature. The contributions of protein and buffer solution to the overall scattering are carefully separated. Otherwise, the fast water dynamics dominating the buffer contribution is likely to mask the slow protein dynamics. In the case of WSCP, the protein scattering can be described by two contributions: i) internal protein dynamics represented by a diffusion in a sphere with an average radius of 2.7 u A and ii) global (Brownian) diffusion of the WSCP macromolecule with an upper limit for the translational diffusion coefficient of 9.4 · 10 −7 cm 2 /s.

We have investigated two ionic salt systems with different degrees of fragility, Ca0.4K0.6(NO3)1.4 (CKN) and ZnCl2, by cold-neutron spectroscopy. The spectra were studied in detail around the glass-transition temperatures. Harmonic vibrations dominate the dynamics in both systems below the glass transition. With increasing temperature a strong anharmonic additional intensity was observed in the picosecond range in both systems. The results of our study show correlations between the low-energy excitations and the degree of fragility: harmonic vibrations are better pronounced in less fragile systems, while the anharmonic picosecond dynamics are stronger in fragile glass-forming liquids.

Cholesterol (chol) is a passive molecular effector on membrane structure, and hence on fluidity and elasticity. Its chemical variety azobenzene-cholesterol (azo-chol) can be considered an active effector since it carries the photosensitive as a hedgroup. It is identical to cholesterol in its hydrophobic part. Upon light illumination with proper wavelengths, the reversible conformational change of the headgroup (365nm: trans to cis; 455nm: cis to trans) does modify the membrane structure, and most probably as well the lipid dynamics of the membrane. We report on a study on bilayer stacks consisting a well- known 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-phosphatidyl-choline (POPC) matrix and embedded azo-chol. Lipid dynamics upon presence of azo-chol in either of the two conformations was studied at four temperatures by quasielastic neutron scattering experiments. The results involve dynamics of POPC molecules in time scales between 1 ~ 100ps. Temperature depedence of the lipid dynamics is also addressed.