Structural studies of iron and manganese in photosynthetic reaction centers

Technical Report · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5692498

McDermott, A E

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) were used to characterize components involved in the light reactions of photosynthetic reaction centers from spinach and a thermophilic cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp.: center X, the low electron potential acceptor in Photosystem I (PS I) and the Mn complex involved in water oxidation and oxygen evolution. The dependence of its EPR amplitude on microwave power and temperature indicate an Orbach spin relaxation mechanism involving an excited state at 40 cm/sup -1/. This low energy contributes to its unusually anisotropic g-tensor. XAS of iron in PS I preparations containing ferredoxins A, B and X are consistent with a model with (4Fe-4S) ferredoxins, which are presumably centers A and B and (2Fe-2S) ferredoxins, which would be X. Illumination of dark-adapted Synechococcus PS II samples at 220 to 240 K results in the formation of the multiline EPR signal previously assigned as a Mn S/sub 2/ species, and g = 1.8 and 1.9 signals of Fe/sup 2 +/ Q/sub A//sup -/. In contrast to spinach, illumination at 110 to 160 K produces only a new EPR signal at g = 1.6 which we assign to another configuration of Fe/sup 2+ - Q/sup -/. Following illumination of a S/sub 1/ sample at 140 K or 215 K, the Mn x-ray absorption edge inflection energy changes from 6550 eV to 6551 eV, indicating an oxidation of Mn, and average valences greater than Mn(II). Concomitant changes in the shape of the pre-edge spectrum indicate oxidation of Mn(III) to Mn(IV). The Mn EXAFS spectrum of PS II from Synechococcus is similar in the S/sub 1/ and S/sub 2/ states, indicating O or N ligands at 1.75 +- 0.05 A, transition metal neighbor(s) at 2.75 +- 0.05 A, and N and O ligands at 2.2 A with heterogeneous bond lengths; these data demonstrate the presence of a di-..mu..-oxo bridged Mn structure. 202 refs., 40 figs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5692498
• Report Number(s): LBL-24474; ON: DE88005737
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
550200 -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
ELECTROPHORESIS
FERREDOXIN
FOOD
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
METALLOPROTEINS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA
PHOTOSYNTHETIC REACTION CENTERS
PHYCOBILIPROTEINS
PLANTS
PROTEINS
RESONANCE
SPECTROSCOPY
SPINACH
VEGETABLES
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY