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The two-dimensional molecular assembly was accomplished of bacteriochlorophyll

Photosynthesis is a process used by algae and plants to convert light energy into chemical energy. Due to their uniquely natural and environmentally friendly nature, photosynthetic proteins have attracted attention for use in a variety of artificial applications. Among the various types, biophotovoltaics based on dye-sensitized solar cells have been demonstrated in many studies. Although most related works have used n-type semiconductors, a p-type semiconductor is also a significant potential component for tandem cells. In this work, we used mesoporous NiO as a p-type semiconductor substrate for Photosystem I (PSI) and demonstrated a p-type PSI-biophotovoltaic and tandem cell based on dye-sensitized solar cells. Under visible light illumination, the PSI-adsorbed NiO electrode generated a cathodic photocurrent. The p-type biophotovoltaic cell using the PSI-adsorbed NiO electrode generated electricity, and the IPCE spectrum was consistent with the absorption spectrum of PSI. These results indicate that the PSI-adsorbed NiO electrode acts as a photocathode. Moreover, a tandem cell consisting of the PSI-NiO photocathode and a PSI-TiO2 photoanode showed a high open-circuit voltage of over 0.7 V under illumination to the TiO2 side. Thus, the tandem strategy can be utilized for biophotovoltaics, and the use of other biomaterials that match the solar spectrum will lead to further progress in photovoltaic performance.

Photosynthetic pigment–protein-based biophotovoltaic devices are attracting interest as environmentally friendly energy sources. Photosystem I (PSI), a photosynthetic pigment–protein, is a proven biophotovoltaic material because of its abundance and high charge separation quantum efficiency. However, the photocurrent of these biophotovoltaic devices is not high because of their low spectral response. We have integrated an artificial light-harvesting antenna into a PSI-based biophotovoltaic device to expand the spectral response. To fabricate the device, a perylene di-imide derivative (PTCDI) was introduced onto a TiO2 surface as an artificial antenna. In the photovoltaic cells formed by the PTCDI/PSI-assembled TiO2 electrode, the magnitude of the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency spectrum was significantly enhanced in the range 450–750 nm, and the photocurrent increased to 0.47 mA/cm2. The result indicates that the photons absorbed by PTCDI transfer to PSI via Forster resonance energy transfer.

In this study, we improved the hydrogen production efficiency by combining photosystem I with an artificial light harvesting dye, Lumogen Red. In the reaction system, Lumogen Red allows light absorption and energy transfer to photosystem I by Forster resonance energy transfer; therefore, the Pt nanoparticles act as active sites for hydrogen generation.

To examine the applicability of fluorinated membrane-forming phospholipids to reconstitution matrices for functional membrane proteins, the membrane properties of a synthetic ether-type phosphatidylcholine (PC) bearing partially fluorinated C

With the aim of understanding the excitation energy transfer mechanism in natural photosynthetic membranes, light-harvesting (LH)2 and LH1-reaction center, which are pigment-protein complexes separated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, were aligned on a planar electrode surface in stripe patterns at 5 urn intervals. Observation of the absorption spectrum and fluorescence microphotographs revealed selective immobilization and conservation of the pigments. Photocurrent signals were obtained when the electrode was illuminated at either 880 or 800 nm. The fabricated structure was confirmed to function as a natural photosynthetic membrane with the highest photocurrent signal being obtained when using a co-immobilized substrate under excitation at 800 nm.

The photosynthetic light-harvesting–reaction center core complex (LH1-RC) is a natural excitonic and photovoltaic device embedded in a lipid membrane. In order to apply LH1-RCs as a biohybrid energy-producing material, some important issues must be addressed, including how to make LH1-RCs function as efficiently as possible. In addition, they should be characterized to evaluate how many active LH1-RCs efficiently work in artificial systems. We report here that an anionic phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), stabilizes the charge-separated state (a photooxidized electron donor and reduced quinone pair, P+QB–) of LH1-RC (from Rhodopseudomonas palustris) and enhances its activity in photocurrent generation. Steady-state fluorometric analysis demonstrated that PG enhances the formation of the P+QB– state at lower irradiances. The photocurrent generation activity was analyzed via Michaelis–Menten kinetics, revealing that 38% of LH1-RCs reconstituted into the PG membrane generated photocurrent at a turnover...

Light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHCII) is the most abundant membrane protein-chlorophyll complex in chloroplasts. Here, we evaluated the photocatalytic activity of the native trimer and the enzymatically treated monomer forms of LHCII. Upon white light irradiation using a solar simulator, photocatalytic reduction of methylviologen revealed that the activity of monomeric LHCII was higher than that of the trimer form. Fluorescence of the monomeric LHCII was more significantly quenched by methylviologen than that of the trimer form. In the presence of Pt nanoparticles in a catalytic solution system, photoinduced hydrogen production was observed for the LHCII monomer. The difference in photocatalytic activities of LHCII trimer and monomer are briefly discussed in terms of an interaction between LHCII and methylviologen.

To examine the applicability of fluorinated membrane-forming phospholipids to reconstitution matrices for functional membrane proteins, the membrane properties of a synthetic ether-type phosphatidylcholine (PC) bearing partially fluorinated C18-monoacetylenic (9-octadecynyl) chains, DF8CCH8PC, were compared with those of its non-fluorinated counterpart, DH8CCH8PC. Light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) and the light-harvesting 1‒reaction center core complex (LH1-RC) isolated from purple photosynthetic bacteria were employed as probe membrane proteins to evaluate the extent to which their reconstitution into DF8CCH8PC membranes could proceed. DF8CCH8PC formed more expanded and more stable fluid monolayers than DH8CCH8PC at the air-water interface at 25 °C; the former PC molecule occupied an area of ca. 0.70 nm2 at a collapse pressure, πc, of 52 mN/m, while the latter occupied an area of ca. 0.55 nm2 at a πc of 45 mN/m. In contrast, the molecular motion detected using fluorescent probes was much more restricted in DF8CCH8PC bilayers than in DH8CCH8PC ones. Although the reconstitution efficiencies of both LH2 and LH1-RC into DF8CCH8PC bilayers were lower than those into DH8CCH8PC bilayers, the membrane proteins incorporated into DF8CCH8PC bilayers showed increased thermostability. The increased thermostability of these proteins in fluorinated PC membranes might be due to the restricted molecular motion in the hydrophobic chains. The results of this study suggest that partially fluorinated PCs can be useful materials for the construction of lipid‒functional membrane protein assemblies including large membrane protein complexes, such as LH1-RC, for biotechnological applications.

In this study, we demonstrated the conversion of CO2 to formic acid under ambient conditions in a photoreduction nanoporous reactor using a photosensitizer, methyl viologen (MV2+), and formate dehydrogenase (FDH). The overall efficiency of this reactor was 14 times higher than that of the equivalent solution. The accumulation rate of formic acid in the nanopores of 50 nm is 83 times faster than that in the equivalent solution. Thus, this CO2 photoreduction nanoporous glass reactor will be useful as an artificial photosynthesis system that converts CO2 to fuel.

To develop efficient systems for light-energy conversion, monomeric and dimeric zinc chlorin derivatives were synthesized. These derivatives act as photosensitizers for light-induced hydrogen production with methylviologen as the electron mediator and Pt nanoparticles as the hydrogen-evolution catalyst. The monomeric derivative exhibited ~1.5-times higher activity than the dimeric derivative. The photocurrent-generating activity of the Zn chlorin derivatives assembled on a chemically modified indium tin oxide electrode was investigated; the dimeric derivative exhibited significant activity compared to the monomeric derivative. The photosensitizing activity of the derivatives in dye-sensitized solar cells was also investigated. The dimeric derivative exhibited two-fold higher performance than the monomeric derivative. The dimerization effect on the photosensitizing activities is briefly discussed in terms of stacking conformations based on the results of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies.

In recent years, a number of light-induced hydrogen production systems composed of photosystem I (PSI) and hydrogen production catalysts (e.g. hydrogenases and Pt nanoparticles) have been reported. However, the utility of these systems under aerobic conditions is limited due to their poor stability in the presence of oxygen. The development of light-induced hydrogen production systems that work under aerobic conditions is, therefore, of great importance to establish artificial photosynthetic devices. Ideally, these systems should utilise water as an electron source, via water splitting by photosystem II (PSII). We report the construction of a novel light-induced hydrogen production system composed of PSI-platinum nanoparticle conjugates and cytochrome c 6 (cyt c 6) immobilised in nanoporous glass plates (PGP50, 50-nm pore diameter). PSI trimer (PSIt) from Thermosynechococcus elongatus and Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) were conjugated via electrostatic interactions (PSIt-PtNP). PSIt-PtNP and cyt c 6 were spontaneously absorbed in nanopores of PGP50 without denaturation. Upon irradiation in the presence of ascorbate as a sacrificial electron donor, catalytic H2 evolution was observed for PSIt-PtNP immobilised in the pores of PGP50 (PSIt-PtNP/PGP50) under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions, indicating that an effective photoinduced electron transfer system had been established. PSIt-PtNP/PGP50 was found to exhibit improved oxygen resistivity over the homogeneous solution system consisting of PSIt-PtNP, cyt c 6, and ascorbate, suggesting that the PSIt-PtNP/PGP50 system could be a potential candidate for artificial photosynthetic systems. The distribution of the components, PSIt-PtNP and cyt c 6, in PGP50 was characterised to discuss the efficiency of light-induced hydrogen production.

The development of artificial photosynthesis has focused on the efficient coupling of reaction at photoanode and cathode, wherein the production of hydrogen (or energy carriers) is coupled to the electrons derived from water-splitting reactions. The natural photosystem II (PSII) complex splits water efficiently using light energy. The PSII complex is a large pigment-protein complex (20 nm in diameter) containing a manganese cluster. A new photoanodic device was constructed incorporating stable PSII purified from a cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vulcanus through immobilization within 20 or 50 nm nanopores contained in porous glass plates (PGPs). PSII in the nanopores retained its native structure and high photoinduced water splitting activity. The photocatalytic rate (turnover frequency) of PSII in PGP was enhanced 11-fold compared to that in solution, yielding a rate of 50-300 mol e(-)/(mol PSII·s) with 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) as an electron acceptor. The PGP system realized high local concentrations of PSII and DCIP to enhance the collisional reactions in nanotubes with low disturbance of light penetration. The system allows direct visualization/determination of the reaction inside the nanotubes, which contributes to optimize the local reaction condition. The PSII/PGP device will substantively contribute to the construction of artificial photosynthesis using water as the ultimate electron source.

In this study, we improved the hydrogen production efficiency by combining photosystem I with an artificial light harvesting dye, Lumogen Red. In the reaction system, Lumogen Red allows light absorption and energy transfer to photosystem I by Förster resonance energy transfer; therefore, the Pt nanoparticles act as active sites for hydrogen generation.

Morphology of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC)-cholesterol (Chol) mixed monolayer formed on water surface by dropping method was investigated using surface tension measurement (STm), Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and fluorescence microscopy (FM). STm showed strong condensation effect of Chol in fluidic DPPC monolayer. Excess area (Sex) from mean mixing state of DPPC and Chol was about twice larger than that by general compression method in the range from xC = 0.2 to 0.4 (xC: mole fraction of Chol). BAM and FM images showed clearly that the fluidic DPPC monolayer changed to condensed rigid monolayer due to the condensation effect of Chol. At more than xC = 0.3 DPPC-Chol mixed monolayer changed to condensed state similar to the Chol monolayer. These results support previous reports by compression method that Chol molecule demonstrates the strong condensation effect to the fluidic monolayer and also indicate that dropping method enables to form unique monolayer on the water surface.

Introducing appropriate artificial components into natural biological systems could enrich the original functionality. To expand the available wavelength range of photosynthetic bacterial light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2 from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila 10050), artificial fluorescent dye (Alexa Fluor 647: A647) was covalently attached to N- and C-terminal Lys residues in LH2 α-polypeptides with a molar ratio of A647/LH2 ≃ 9/1. Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopies revealed that intracomplex energy transfer from A647 to intrinsic chromophores of LH2 (B850) occurs in a multiexponential manner, with time constants varying from 440 fs to 23 ps through direct and B800-mediated indirect pathways. Kinetic analyses suggested that B800 chromophores mediate faster energy transfer, and the mechanism was interpretable in terms of Förster theory. This study demonstrates that a simple attachment of external chromophores with a flexible linkage can enhance the light harvesting activity of LH2 without affecting inherent functions of energy transfer, and can achieve energy transfer in the subpicosecond range. Addition of external chromophores, thus, represents a useful methodology for construction of advanced hybrid light-harvesting systems that afford solar energy in the broad spectrum.

Zinc chlorophyll a derivatives were synthesised for use as photosensitizers. Herein, we report a system for photoinduced hydrogen production with colloidal platinum via photoreduction of methylviologen (MV2+) using the photosensitization of a Zn pyropheophorbide a (ZnPyOH) dimer connected by lysine (ZnPy-K(ZnPy)OH) as a special pair model in the photosynthetic reaction centre in the presence of NADPH as an electron donor.

Absorption and Raman spectra of spheroidene dissolved in various organic solvents and bound to peripheral light-harvesting LH2 complexes from photosynthetic purple bacteria Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides 2.4.1 were measured. The results showed that the peak energies of absorption and C-C and C=C stretching Raman lines are linearly proportional to the polarizability of solvents, as has already been reported. When comparing these results with those measured on LH2 complexes, it was confirmed that spheroidene is surrounded by a media with high polarizability. However, the change in the spectral width of the Raman lines, which reflect vibrational decay time, cannot be explained simply by a similar dependence of solvent polarizability. The experimental results were analyzed using a potential theoretical model. Consequently, a systematic change in the Raman line widths in the ground state can be satisfactorily explained as a function of the viscosity of the surrounding media. Even when the absorption peaks appear at the same energy, the vibrational decay time of spheroidene in the LH2 complexes is approximately 15-20 % slower than that in organic solvents.

PTEN-positive tumors are not susceptible to the treatment with rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Here, we determined the susceptibility of PTEN-positive cells to small interfering RNA for mTOR (si-mTOR) by using a novel liposomal delivery system. We prepared dicetyl phosphate-tetraethylenepentamine-based polycation liposomes (TEPA-PCL) decorated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafting Ala-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly (APRPG), a VRGFR-1-targeting peptide. APRPG-PEG-decorated TEPA-PCL carrying si-mTOR (APRPG-TEPA-PCL/si-mTOR) had an antiproliferative effect against B16F10 murine melanoma cells (PTEN-positive) and significantly inhibited both the proliferation and tube formation of mouse 2H-11 endothelial-like cells (PTEN-positive). APRPG-TEPA-PCL/si-mTOR treatment did not induce Akt phosphorylation (Ser473) in either B16F10 or 2H-11 cells although there was strong phosphorylation of Akt in response to rapamycin treatment. Intravenous injection of APRPG-TEPA-PCL/si-mTOR significantly suppressed the tumor growth compared with rapamycin treatment in mice bearing B16F10 melanoma. These findings suggest that APRPG-TEPA-PCL/si-mTOR is useful for the treatment of PTEN-positive tumors.

The photosynthetic light-harvesting-reaction center core complex (LH1-RC) is a natural excitonic and photovoltaic device embedded in a lipid membrane. In order to apply LH1-RCs as a biohybrid energy-producing material, some important issues must be addressed, including how to make LH1-RCs function as efficiently as possible. In addition, they should be characterized to evaluate how many active LH1-RCs efficiently work in artificial systems. We report here that an anionic phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), stabilizes the charge-separated state (a photooxidized electron donor and reduced quinone pair, P

Appropriate experimental platforms are required to clarify the structure–function relationships of membrane protein assemblies. In photosynthetic bacteria, light-harvesting complex 2 and light-harvesting/reaction center core complex play key roles in capturing and transferring light energy and facilitating subsequent charge separation. These photosynthetic apparatuses form a supramolecular assembly in the photosynthetic membrane. However, the mechanism through which this assembly influences the efficiency of energy conversion remains to be clarified. We review our recent studies that were conducted to evaluate the structure–function relationship of the supramolecular assembly of photosynthetic antenna complexes in various lipid bilayer systems, as well as the construction of novel systems of planar lipid membranes for use as experimental platforms.

Photosystem II (PSII) has attracted a lot of attention for use in the construction of artificial photosynthetic materials due to its high activity of oxidation of water molecules. However, the robustness of PSII needs to be improved for in vitro application. In this study, we incorporated PSII (Thermosynechococcus vulcanus) into various phospholipid membranes to examine the activity and durability of oxygen evolution. PSII was incorporated into anionic 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1′-rac-glycerol) (PSII-DOPG), zwitterionic 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PSII-DOPC), and cationic 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-ethylphosphocholine (PSII-EDOPC). Structural integrity of PSII was examined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Compared with PSII dissolved in a micellar solution of n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (PSII-micelle), durability of PSII-DOPC and PSII-DOPG were enhanced by 1.3- and 1.5-fold, respectively. The activity and durability of PSII-EDOPC was significantly low. Lipid-dependent activity and durability were discussed in terms of kinetic parameters of V max and K m, and inhibition of the electron acceptor, phenyl-p-benzoquinone.

Photosystems, PSI and PSII isolated from Thermosynechococcus elongatus were successfully immobilized on a TiO2 nanostructured film for use in dye-sensitized biosolar cells (DSBCs). The photosystem complexes were also immobilized on an ITO electrode modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane by utilizing the interactions between the electrode and the surface of the PSI or PSII polypeptide. Illumination of the PSI and PSII complexes immobilized on the ITO electrode resulted in action spectra in the presence of methyl viologen, which corresponded to the absorption spectra of the complexes. Compared with the ITO electrode, PSI or PSII complexes assembled on the TiO2 electrode had much higher energy-conversion efficiency in the presence of an iodide/triiodide redox system of an ionic-liquid-based electrolyte. This could have interesting applications in the development of DSBCs.

Since the emergence of modern science, photosynthesis has been the focus of interest of many researchers because of its importance for all forms of life on this planet. In particular, remarkable progress has been made during the last two decades. Of special importance is the determination of the three-dimensional structures of key proteins in photosynthesis, such as Photosystem I, Photosystem II, and cytochrome b6f complexes by X-ray crystallography. These crystallographic studies provide useful information about the static structures of these biomolecules. On the other hand, the dynamic aspects of these biomolecules are equally important, which have been revealed by various other techniques such as biochemical assays, fluorescence spectroscopy, magnetic resonance studies, and so on. These successful research activities have collected an impressive amount of scientific knowledge, although there is still much debate on various important aspects, which are under active research right now. From the viewpoint of chemistry, the situation looks somewhat different. Although we may be able to understand the molecular system of natural photosynthesis, we are far from being able to re-construct it in our hands. The latter challenge is still too complex for today’s chemists. Nevertheless, building up artificial photosynthetic systems on the basis of our knowledge about natural photosynthesis is a worthwhile goal.

A light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHCII), isolated from spinach, was immobilized onto a gold electrode modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols, NH2–(CH2) n –SH, n = 2, 6, 8, 11; HOOC–(CH2)7–SH; and CH3–(CH2)7–SH; and a bare electrode. The extent of LHCII complex adsorption according to surface treatment decreased in the order amino groups > carboxylic acid groups > methyl groups and increased with the methylene chain length in NH2–(CH2) n –SH. Interestingly, the photocurrent density depended on the terminal group and the methylene chain length in NH2–(CH2) n –SH and decreased in the order amino groups > methyl groups > carboxylic acid groups. An efficient photocurrent response of the LHCII complex on SAMs of NH2–(CH2) n –SH, n = 8 was observed upon illumination at 680 nm. These results indicated that the LHCII complexes were well organized on the cationic surfaces of the gold electrodes modified with amino alkanethiols. The quantum yield depended on the methylene chain length (n), where the maximum photocurrent response was observed at n = 8, which corresponded to a distance of 1.7 nm between the terminal amino group in NH2–(CH2)8–SH and the gold surface.

Hydrogenases are powerful catalysts for light-driven H2 production using a combination of photosensitizers. However, except oxygen-tolerant hydrogenases, they are immediately deactivated under aerobic conditions. We report a light-driven H2 evolution system that works stably even under aerobic conditions. A [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki F was immobilized inside nanoporous glass plates (PGPs) with a pore diameter of 50 nm together with a ruthenium complex and methyl viologen as a photosensitizer and an electron mediator, respectively. After immersion of PGP into the medium containing the catalytic components, an anaerobic environment automatically established inside the nanopores even under aerobic external conditions upon irradiation with solar-simulated light; this system constantly evolved H2 with an efficiency of 3.7 μmol H2 m(-2) s(-1). The PGP system proposed in this work represents a promising first step toward the development of an O2-tolerant solar energy conversion system.

Nonlinear optical responses of β-carotene were investigated upon excitation using chirped pulses. We especially focus on spectrally resolved transient grating (TG) signals to discuss the influence of the spectral chirp over a wide spectral range. A significant change in the TG signal was observed when negatively chirped pulses were used. The experimental results were qualitatively reproduced by employing the Brownian oscillator model. The relationship between the wave packet motion in the excited state and spectral chirp is discussed. It is concluded that the third order nonlinear optical response reflects the competition between the spectral chirp and the energy separation of the potential curves.

In the photosynthetic membrane of purple bacteria networks of light-harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes capture the sunlight and transfer the excitation energy. In order to investigate the mutual relationship between the supramolecular organization of the pigment-protein complexes and their biological function, the LH2 complexes were reconstituted into three types of phospholipid membranes, consisting of L-α-phosphatidylglycerol (PG), L-α-phosphatidylcholine (PC), and L-α-phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/PG/cardiolipin (CL). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the type of phospholipids had a crucial influence on the clustering tendency of the LH2 complexes increased from PG over PC to PE/PG/CL, where the LH2 complexes formed large, densely packed clusters. Time-resolved spectroscopy uncovered a strong quenching of the LH2 fluorescence that is ascribed to singlet-singlet and singlet-triplet annihilation by an efficient energy transfer between the LH2 complexes in the artificial membrane systems. Quantitative analysis reveals that the intercomplex energy transfer efficiency varies strongly as a function of the morphology of the nanostructure, namely in the order PE/PG/CLPCPG, which is in line with the clustering tendency of LH2 observed by AFM. These results suggest a strong influence of the phospholipids on the self-assembly of LH2 complexes into networks and concomitantly on the intercomplex energy transfer efficiency.

In purple photosynthetic bacteria, light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) and light harvesting/reaction centre core complex (LH1-RC) play the key roles of capturing and transferring light energy and subsequent charge separation. These photosynthetic apparatuses form a supramolecular assembly; however, how the assembly influences the efficiency of energy conversion is not yet clear. We addressed this issue by evaluating the energy transfer in reconstituted photosynthetic protein complexes LH2 and LH1-RC and studying the structures and the membrane environment of the LH2/LH1-RC assemblies, which had been embedded into various lipid bilayers. Thus, LH2 and LH1-RC from Rhodopseudomonas palustris 2.1.6 were reconstituted in phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/PG/cardiolipin (CL). Efficient energy transfer from LH2 to LH1-RC was observed in the PC and PE/PG/CL membranes. Atomic force microscopy revealed that LH2 and LH1-RC were heterogeneously distributed to form clusters in the PC and PE/PG/CL membranes. The results indicated that the phospholipid species influenced the cluster formation of LH2 and LH1-RC as well as the energy transfer efficiency.

LH1-α and -β polypeptides, which make up the light-harvesting 1 (LH1) complex of purple photosynthetic bacteria, along with bacteriochlorophylls, have unique binding properties even for various porphyrin analogs. Herein, we used the porphyrin analogs, Zn-Chlorin and the Zn-Chlorin dimer, and examined their binding behaviors to the LH1-α variant, which has a His-tag at the C-terminus (MBP-rubα-YH). Zn-Chlorin and the Zn-Chlorin dimer could bind to MBP-rubα-YH and form a subunit-type assembly, similar to that from the native LH1 complex. These complexes could be immobilized onto Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid-modified Au electrodes, and the cathodic photocurrent was successfully observed by photoirradiation. Since Zn-Chlorins in this complex are too far for direct electron transfer from the electrode, a contribution of polypeptide backbone for efficient electron transfer was implied. These findings not only show interesting properties of LH1-α polypeptides but also suggest a clue to construct artificial photosynthesis systems using these peptide materials.

In this study, we demonstrated the conversion of CO

The reassociation of carotenoids with the photosynthetic light-harvesting 1 (LH1) pigment–protein complex has proven to be a powerful technique to investigate the function of carotenoids. We have r...

Preparation of DPPC lipid monolayer in water trough has been done by dropping method and compared with compression method. Monolayer was studied by surface pressure isotherm, fluorescence microscopy, Brewster angle microscopy, and infrared external reflection spectroscopy. Results of these measurements showed that dropping method gave better results compared to compression method. In dropping method, transition from liquid expanded state to liquid condensed is gradual compared to sharp one in compressed method. During monolayer formation, adjustment and interaction between hydrophilic part of lipid and water and among hydrophobic part of lipid molecule are slow, stable, and more natural as worked out from surface area versus pressure isotherm. At a given molecular area, surface pressure is less compared to compression method thus monolayer is in more fluidic state in dropping method than compression method. The observation was supported by all techniques described above.

For the purpose of systemic delivery of siRNA, we previously developed polycation liposomes (PCLs) containing dicetylphosphate-tetraethylenepentamine (DCP-TEPA) as an effective siRNA carrier. In the present study, to endow these PCLs (TEPA-PCL) actively target cancer cells and angiogenic vessels, we decorated the PCLs with cyclic RGD, by using cyclic RGD-grafted distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine-polyethylene glycol (DSPE-PEG), and investigated the usefulness of this type of carrier (RGD-PEG-PCL) for active targeting. Firstly, the gene-silencing efficacy of siRNA for luciferase (siLuc2) formulated in RGD-PEG-PCL (RGD-PEG-PCL/siLuc2) was examined in vitro by using B16F10-luc2 murine melanoma cells stably expressing the luciferase 2 gene, where the siRNA was grafted with cholesterol at the 3'-end of the sense strand (siRNA-C) for the stable association of the siRNA with the PCL. RGD-PEG-PCL/siLuc2 showed high knockdown efficiency compared with siLuc2 formulated in PEGylated TEPA-PCL without cyclic RGD (PEG-PCL). Next, the gene-silencing efficacy of RGD-PEG-PCL/siLuc2 was examined in vivo by use of B16F10-luc2 lung metastatic model mice. The intravenous injection of RGD-PEG-PCL/siLuc2 showed high knockdown efficiency against metastatic B16F10-luc2 tumors in the lungs of the mice, as assessed with an in vivo imaging system. These data strongly suggest that systemic and active targeting siRNA delivery using RGD-PEG-PCL is useful for cancer RNAi therapy.

A manganese chlorophyll derivative (MnChlorophyll a) with hydrogen peroxide efficiently catalyzed the decoloration of C. I. Acid Orange 7, in various micellar solutions under mild conditions such as pH 6–8 and 25°C. In the experiment, peroxide decoloration was dependent on the structures of the surfactants and the presence of imidazole. The maximum decoloration rate was observed for MnChlorophyll a in hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (HDTAC) micellar solution, especially in the presence of imidazole.

A light-harvesting (LH) antenna complex II, LHCII, isolated from spinach was immobilized onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode with dot patterning of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) by utilizing electrostatic interactions between the cationic surface of the electrode and the anionic surface of stromal side of the LHCII polypeptide. Interestingly, the illumination of LHCII assembled onto the ITO electrode produced a photocurrent response that depends on the wavelength of the excitation light. Further, LHCII was immobilized onto a TiO2 nanostructured film to extend for the development of a dye-sensitized biosolar cell system. The photocurrent measured in the iodide/tri-iodide redox system of an ionic liquid based electrolyte on the TiO2 system showed remarkable enhancement of the conversion efficiency, as compared to that on the ITO electrode.

The two-dimensional molecular assembly was accomplished of bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) and zinc-substituted BChl a (Zn-BChl a) together with synthetic poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)-linked light-harvesting (LH) model polypeptides on a gold Au(111) electrode modified with supported lipid bilayers. Model polypeptides for LH1-α from Rhodospirillum (Rs.) rubrum were successfully synthesized and stably assembled with Zn-BChl a in 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1′-glycerol)] (DOPG) lipid bilayers on an electrode at room temperature, as well as in liposomal solution, in which the Zn-BChl a complex unlike BChl a, was stably assembled. The PEG moiety of the model polypeptide assisted the stable assembly with an α-helical conformation of the LH1-α model peptides together with these pigments onto the gold electrode with defined orientation. The photocurrent response depended on the combinations of the pigments and synthetic LH model polypeptides. The results presented herein will be useful for the self-assem...

In photosynthesis, carotenoids play important roles in light harvesting (LH) and photoprotective functions, which have been described mainly in terms of two singlet excited states of carotenoids: S(1) and S(2). In addition to the "dark" S(1) state, another dark state, S*, was recently identified and its involvement in photosynthetic functions was determined. However, there is no consistent picture concerning its nature or the mechanism of its formation. One particularly anomalous behavior obtained from femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy is that the S*/S(1) population ratio depends on the excitation intensity. Here, we focus on the effect of nearby bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) on the relaxation dynamics of carotenoid in the LH complex. We performed femtosecond TA spectroscopy combined with pre-excitation of BChl in the reconstituted LH1 complex from Rhodospirillum rubrum S1. We observed that the energy flow from S(1), including its vibrationally excited hot states, to S* occurs only when nearby BChl is excited into Q(y), resulting in an increase in S*/S(1). We also examined the excitation-intensity dependence of S*/S(1) by conventional TA spectroscopy. A comparison between the pre-excitation effect and excitation-intensity dependence shows a strong correlation of S*/S(1) with the number of BChls excited into Q(y). In addition, we observed an increase in triplet formation as the S* population increased, indicating that S* is an electronic excited state that is the precursor to triplet formation. Our findings provide an explanation for observed spectroscopic features, including the excitation-intensity dependences debated so far, and offer new insights into energy deactivation mechanisms inherent in the LH antenna.

Dicetyl phosphate-tetraethylenepentamine (DCP-TEPA) conjugate was newly synthesized and formed into liposomes for efficient siRNA delivery. Formulation of DCP-TEPA-based polycation liposomes (TEPA-PCL) complexed with siRNA was examined by performing knockdown experiments using stable EGFP-transfected HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells and siRNA for GFP. An adequate amount of DCP-TEPA in TEPA-PCL and N/P ratio of TEPA-PCL/siRNA complexes were determined based on the knockdown efficiency. Then, the biodistribution of TEPA-PCL modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was examined in BALB/c mice. As a result, TEPA-PCL modified with PEG6000 avoided reticuloendothelial system uptake and showed long circulation in the bloodstream. On the other hand, PEGylation of TEPA-PCL/siRNA complexes caused dissociation of a portion of the siRNA from the liposomes. However, we found that the use of cholesterol-conjugated siRNA improved the interaction between TEPA-PCL and siRNA, which allowed PEGylation of TEPA-PCL/siRNA complexes without siRNA dissociation. In addition, TEPA-PCL complexed with cholesterol-conjugated siRNA showed potent knockdown efficiency in stable luciferase-transfected B16-F10 murine melanoma cells. Finally, the biodistribution of cholesterol-conjugated siRNA formulated in PEGylated TEPA-PCL was examined by performing near-infrared fluorescence imaging in Colon26 NL-17 murine carcinoma-bearing mice. Our results showed that tumor targeting with siRNA via systemic administration was achieved by using PEGylated TEPA-PCL combined with active targeting with Ala-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly, a peptide used for targeting angiogenic endothelium.

Two types of photosynthetic membrane proteins, the peripheral antenna complex (LH2) and the core antenna/reaction center complex (LH1-RC), play an essential role in the primary process of purple bacterial photosynthesis, that is, capturing light energy, transferring it to the RC where it is used in subsequent charge separation. Establishment of experimental platforms is required to understand the function of the supramolecular assembly of LH2 and LH1-RC molecules into arrays. In this study, we assembled LH2 and LH1-RC arrays into domain-structured planar lipid bilayers placed on a coverglass using stepwise combinations of vesicle-to-planar membrane formation and vesicle fusion methods. First, it was shown that assembly of LH2 and LH1-RC in planar lipid bilayers, through vesicle-to-planar membrane formation, could be confirmed by absorption spectroscopy and high resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM). Second, formation of a planar membrane incorporating LH2 molecules made by the vesicle fusion method was corroborated by AFM together with quantitative analysis by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). By combining planar membrane formation and vesicle fusion, in a stepwise manner, LH2 and LH1-RC were successfully organized in the domain-structured planar lipid membrane. This methodology for construction of LH2/LH1-RC assemblies will be a useful experimental platform with which to investigate energy transfer from LH2 to LH1-RC where the relative arrangement of these two complexes can be controlled.

In purple photosynthetic bacteria, light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) and the light harvesting-reaction center complex (LH1-RC) play the key roles of capturing and transferring light energy and subsequent charge separation. These photosynthetic apparatuses form a molecular assembly; however, how the assembly influences the efficiency of energy conversion is not yet clear. To address this issue, direct observation of the assembly at the molecular level is necessary to analyze its function. In this study, we reconstituted photosynthetic membrane proteins into artificial lipid bilayers and directly observed their assembly by AFM. The absorption spectra of the reconstituted proteins showed characteristic Qy bands of bacteriochlorophyll a that were identical to those of intact proteins. AFM observation of the reconstituted membranes revealed that LH2 and LH1-RC were successfully assembled into the lipid bilayer, and their observed structures were in good agreement with corresponding crystallographic structures. Specifically, binary proteins, i.e., LH2/LH1-RC and LH2/LH1, which form a densely packed molecular assembly, could be clearly identified at the molecular level by this method of observation. Energy transfer from LH2 to LH1-RC in a reconstituted lipid bilayer was observed by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Enhanced energy transfer was confirmed in the membrane phase compared to that in a homogeneous micellar solution. Such reconstituted molecular assemblies are useful experimental platforms to investigate the relationship between supramolecular arrays and function. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2011.15]

Previously we developed dicetyl phosphate-tetraethylenepentamine-based polycation liposomes (TEPA-PCL) for use in small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy. In the present study, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) expression in cancer cells was silenced with mTOR-siRNA (simTOR) formulated in TEPA-PCL modified with Ala-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly (APRPG), a peptide having affinity for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1). We investigated the effects of inhibition of mTOR, focusing on the differences between cells treated with simTOR and those with rapamycin in terms of Akt (ser473) phosphorylation and antiproliferative effects. Rapamycin treatment is known to induce Akt (ser473) phosphorylation which attenuates the antiproliferative effects of rapamycin. As a result, knockdown of mTOR did not alter or only slightly reduced Akt (ser473) phosphorylation in phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN)-null (LNCaP and MDA-MB-468 cells) and PTEN-positive (DU 145 and MDA-MB-231) cells, although rapamycin induced Akt (ser473) phosphorylation of these cells. Rapamycin suppressed the growth of PTEN-null cells, in which the rapamycin-sensitive mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) is excessively activated. On the other hand, rapamycin did not suppress the growth of PTEN-positive cells possibly through a negative feedback mechanism via the rapamycin-insensitive mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) signaling pathway. In contrast, simTOR significantly suppressed the growth of cancer cells regardless of the presence of PTEN, possibly through inhibition of both mTORC1 and mTORC2. These results indicate that mTOR knockdown using APRPG-TEPA-PCL/simTOR is likely to be an effective strategy for cancer siRNA therapy.

Molecular assembly of Zn-porphyrin pigments on a gold electrode using synthetic 1α-helix hydrophobic polypeptides which have similar amino acid sequences to the hydrophobic core in the native photosynthetic light-harvesting (LH) 1-β polypeptide from Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been achieved. This method is clearly successful in allowing assembly of porphyrins together with LH1 type functional complexes with a defined distance and orientation on the electrode. In this case, the photocurrent direction and the distance of electron transfer of pigments could be controlled by these synthetic LH1 model polypeptides. This method will be useful for the self-assembly of these pigment and protein complexes in order to study the energy transfer and electron transfer reactions between individual pigments in the supramolecular complexes on the electrode, as well as to provide insight into the effect of the distance and orientation of pigments and the effect of the structure of 1α-helix hydrophobic polypeptide on the energy transfer and electron transfer reactions.

Synthetic cationic lipids are promising transfection agents for gene therapy. We report here that polyamine conjugates of dialkyl phosphates, combined with natural lipids and assembled in the form of liposomes (polycationic liposome: PCL), possess high transfection activity in the COS-1 cell line. Furthermore, we describe the functional morphology of the PCL/DNA complexes as revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The conjugates were synthesized from dialkyl phosphates (with alkyl chain lengths of 12, 14, or 16 carbons) by reaction with the polyamine molecules, spermidine, spermine, or polyethylenimine (PEI(1800)). [Dewa, T., et al. Bioconjugate Chem. 2004, 15, 824]. The PCL composed of the spermidine and C16 conjugate combined with phospholipid and cholesterol (conjugate/phospholipid/cholesterol = 1/1/1 as a molar ratio) exhibited 3.6 times higher activity than that of a popular commercial product. Systematic tests revealed clear correlations of the transgene activity with physical properties of the polyamine, in particular, that longer alkyl chains and the lower molecular weight polyamines (spermidine, spermine) favor high efficacy at the higher nitrogen/phosphate ratio = 24 (N/P, stoichiometric ratio of nitrogen in the conjugate to phosphate in DNA). The low molecular weight polyamine-based PCLs, which formed 150-400 nm particles with plasmid DNA (lipoplexes), exhibited approximately 3-fold higher gene transfer activity than micellar aggregates (lacking phospholipid and cholesterol) of the corresponding conjugate. In contrast, the PEI-based PCL formed large aggregates (approximately 1 microm), that, like the micellar aggregate form, had low activity. Activity of the low molecular weight polyamine-based PCLs increased linearly with the N/P of the lipoplex up to N/P = 24. Formation of lipoplexes was examined by agarose gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and AFM. At the lower N/P = 5, large aggregates of complex (approximately 1 microm), in which DNA molecules were loosely packed, were observed. At higher N/P, lipoplexes were converted into smaller particles (150-400 nm) having a lamellar structure, in which DNA molecules were tightly packed. Such morphological features of the lipoplex correlate with the dependence of transfection on the N/P in that the lamellar structures gave superior transfection. AFM also indicated that the lipoplexes disassembled significantly, releasing DNA, when the lipoplexes were exposed to acidic conditions (pH 4). The significance for transfection activity of the metamorphosis of bilayer lipoplexes is discussed relative to that of the less active micellar aggregate form, which is unresponsive to pH change.

光合成膜中では，光エネルギー変換機能をもつタンパク質超分子複合体に含まれる色素分子が，タンパク質と相互作用をしてその機能を発揮している．本報では，光合成のアンテナ系タンパク質超分子複合体(LH1 複合体)中のカロテノイド色素分子の構造と機能の関係を調べるために，共役二重結合鎖長の異なるカロテノイドを用いて LH1 複合体の再構成を行った．そして，得られた再構成 LH1 複合体の Stark スペクトル測定を行い，カロテノイドおよびバクテリオクロロフィル a(BChl a)周辺の静電場環境を評価した．さらに，カロテノイド分子の半経験的分子軌道計算を行って，LH1 複合体中のカロテノイド分子の立体構造を解析した．その結果，このカロテノイド分子は，結晶構造が報告されている LH2 複合体中のカロテノイドと同様に，全トランス体のねじれ構造でタンパク質との結合部位に組織化されていると考えられた．

The vibronic coherence of photosynthetic pigment–protein complexes has been investigated by means of transient grating spectroscopy using sub 20 fs optical pulses. In the present work, we focus our attention on the LH2 antenna complexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 because the information about their structure investigated by the electron and atomic force microscopy is available and the electric levels of pigments are well resolved, resulting in clear absorption spectrum. The vibronic coherent oscillations with a period of a few tens of femtoseconds have been clearly observed. We found that the temporal change of the coherent oscillations reflects the vibrational relaxation in the ground state. Calculations based on the Brownian oscillator model were performed under the impulsive excitation limit. The spectral density has been determined from the Raman measurement of spheroidene. Good agreement between the calculation and the experimental results has been achieved in the linear absorption spectrum and transient grating signal, which strongly supports the validity of our model.

The effect of manganese protoporphyrin, manganese halogenated porphyrins, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-linked manganese porphyrin and PEG-linked manganese halogenated porphyrins (Scheme 1), on the decoloration rates of C.I. Solvent Yellow 14 by m-chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA) at 25°C in non-aqueous solvent was examined. The decoloration rate of C.I. Solvent Yellow 14 by mCPBA was accelerated due to the presence of manganese porphyrin derivatives, depending on the structures of porphyrin derivatives. Interestingly, the decoloration rate decreased due to the presence of ligands such as imidazole, in comparison to the rate catalyzed by the manganese porphyrins in aqueous solution.

Argonaute2 (Ago2), a component protein of RNA-induced silencing complex, plays a central role in RNA interference. We focused on the involvement of Ago2 in angiogenesis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with several growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor were used for angiogenesis assays. We applied polycation liposomes for transfection of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to determine the biological effects of siRNA for Ago2 (siAgo2) on HUVECs. The proliferation study indicated that siAgo2 significantly suppressed the growth of HUVECs compared with control siRNA. TUNEL staining showed a certain population of HUVECs treated with siAgo2 underwent apoptosis. Furthermore, the treatment with siAgo2 suppressed the tube formation of HUVECs and significantly reduced the length of the tubes. These present data demonstrate that siAgo2 inhibited indispensable events of angiogenesis in vitro. This is the first report suggesting that Ago2 is required for angiogenesis.

Phospholipid-linked naphthoquinones separated by spacer methylene groups (C n ), PE-C n -NQ ( n = 0, 5, 11), were synthesized to investigate the quinone-mediated electron transfers on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode covered with phospholipids membrane. The PE-C n -NQ could be incorporated in lipid bilayer composed of phosphatidylcholine and exhibited characteristic absorption spectral change corresponding to their redox state, quinone/hydroquinone. The cyclic voltammogram of PE-C n -NQ-containing lipid bilayer modified on a GC electrode indicated a set of waves corresponding to the consecutive two-electron and two-proton transfer reduction of the quinone moiety. The peak currents of PE-C n -NQ as a function of temperature showed a sharp break point in the current–temperature behavior, reflecting the gel-fluid phase transition. The shape of the cyclic voltammograms changed with the pH of the buffer solution. Below pH 6 the first step of the reduction of quinone was a monoprotonation of quinone, whereas above pH 10 the first step of the oxidation was a monodeprotonation of hydroquinone. This indicates that reaction sequences of quinone/hydroquinone were different with the change of the pH. These results showed that the PE-C n -NQ exhibited electron transfer associated with proton transfer in the lipid membranes, depending on the diffusivity of the redox species in the membrane and pH. Interestingly, less effect of the number of methylene of the spacer group on the peak currents was observed. Comparison of manganese porphyrin-mediated electron transfer that depends on the spacer methylene lengths [M. Nango, T. Hikita, T. Nakano, T. Yamada, M. Nagata, Y. Kurono, T. Ohtsuka, Langmuir 14 (1998) 407] is made.

Photosynthetic light-harvesting polypeptide/pigment complexes (LH ) play an essential role in the primary process of an efficient solar energy-transduction in photosynthetic membrane. In our research, we aim to use the LH complex and control its direction and orientation on electrodes for the development of nanobiodevices from solar to fuel. Specifically, we focus on the construction of an array of the LH on electrodes using a modified photosynthetic protein complex prepared from modern biosynthetic manufacturing methods and in lipid membranes.