1. A red-shifted chlorophyll.
- Author
-
Chen M, Schliep M, Willows RD, Cai ZL, Neilan BA, and Scheer H
- Subjects
- Cyanobacteria classification, Cyanobacteria genetics, Cyanobacteria isolation & purification, Genes, Bacterial, Genes, rRNA, Mass Spectrometry, Molecular Sequence Data, Molecular Structure, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular, Photosynthesis, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics, Spectrometry, Fluorescence, Western Australia, Bacteriochlorophylls chemistry, Bacteriochlorophylls isolation & purification, Cyanobacteria chemistry, Pigments, Biological chemistry, Pigments, Biological isolation & purification
- Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2010
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