Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Evidence that cytochrome b{sub 559} protects photosystem II against photoinhibition

Journal Article · · Biochemistry (Eaton)
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States)
Light that exceeds the photosynthetic capacity of a plant can impair the ability of photosystem II to oxidize water. The light-induced inhibition is initiated by inopportune electron transport reactions that create damaging redox states. There is evidence that secondary electron transport pathways within the photosystem II reaction center can protect against potentially damaging redox states. Experiments using thylakoid membranes poised at different ambient redox potentials demonstrate that light-induced damage to photosystem II can be controlled by a redox component within the reaction center. The rate of photoinhibition is slow when the redox component is oxidized, but increases by more than 10-fold when the redox. component is reduced. Here, using spinach thylakoid membranes, we provide evidence that the redox component is cytochrome b{sub 559}, an intrinsic heme protein of the photosystem II reaction center. The results support a model in which the low-potential (LP) form of cytochrome b{sub 559} protects photosystem II by deactivating a rarely formed, but hazardous redox state of photosystem II, namely, P680/Pheo{sup -}/Q{sub A}{sup -}. Cytochrome b{sub 559}LP is proposed to deactivate this potentially lethal redox state by accepting electrons from reduced pheophytin.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
245322
Journal Information:
Biochemistry (Eaton), Journal Name: Biochemistry (Eaton) Journal Issue: 34 Vol. 34; ISSN 0006-2960; ISSN BICHAW
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Isolation of a photosystem II reaction center consisting of D-1 and D-2 polypeptides and cytochrome b-559
Journal Article · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1986 · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States) · OSTI ID:5628501

Femtosecond photodischroism studies of isolated photosystem II reaction centers
Journal Article · Tue Sep 13 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · OSTI ID:98630

Excited-state structure and energy-transfer dynamics of two different preparations of the reaction center of photosystem II: A hole-burning study
Journal Article · Thu Aug 23 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Physical Chemistry; (USA) · OSTI ID:6463889