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Title: Photoreversible absorbance changes in solutions of allophycocyanin purified from Fremyella diplosiphon: temperature dependence and quantum efficiency

Journal Article · · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

Preparations of allophycocyanin isolated from the alga Fremyella diplosiphon show light-induced optical absorbance changes that suggest the presence of a photoconvertible component similar to the algal pigments described by J. Scheibe ((1972) Science 176, 1037-1039). At pH < 4 the allophycocyanin has an absorption maximum at 620 nm. Red illumination causes a loss of absorbance in the red, centered at 620 nm, and subsequent green illumination restores the lost absorbance. We have studied this photoconversion at temperatures between 200/sup 0/K and 307/sup 0/K, analyzing the results in terms of photostationary states established under red (640 nm) and green (550 nm) light. As the temperature was lowered to 260/sup 0/K, the state P/sub r/ became progressively favored; the reaction P/sub r/ ..-->.. P/sub g/ induced by red light was attenuated but the reaction P/sub g/ ..-->.. P/sub r/ induced by green light was not. Decreasing the temperature from 260/sup 0/K to 200/sup 0/K had no further effect. Two distinct and simple models can account for this curious temperature dependence. By analyzing the kinetic and steady-state data, with reasonable estimates of the molar extinction coefficients of P/sub r/ and P/sub g/, we computed quantum efficiencies greater than 15% for the photoconversion at 300/sup 0/K. We deduced that a conversion of all P/sub r/ to all P/sub g/ should produce a fractional absorbance change ..delta..A/A at 620 nm equal to 0.1. If the chromatic adaptation response of intact F. diplosiphon shows the unusual temperature dependence reported here, the system P/sub r/ in equilibrium P/sub g/ will be implicated in mediating this response.

OSTI ID:
5484020
Journal Information:
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Vol. 76:11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English