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Title: Observation of dissipative chlorophyll-to-carotenoid energy transfer in light-harvesting complex II in membrane nanodiscs

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
  2. Univ. of Pavia (Italy). Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology; Univ. of Verona (Italy). Dept. of Biotechnology
  3. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Agenus Inc., Lexington, MA (United States)
  4. Univ. of Verona (Italy). Dept. of Biotechnology; Accademia Nazionale di Lincei, Rome (Italy)

Plants prevent photodamage under high light by dissipating excess energy as heat. Conformational changes of the photosynthetic antenna complexes activate dissipation by leveraging the sensitivity of the photophysics to the protein structure. The mechanisms of dissipation remain debated, largely due to two challenges. First, because of the ultrafast timescales and large energy gaps involved, measurements lacked the temporal or spectral requirements. Second, experiments have been performed in detergent, which can induce nonnative conformations, or in vivo, where contributions from homologous antenna complexes cannot be disentangled. Here, we overcome both challenges by applying ultrabroadband two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to the principal antenna complex, LHCII, in a near-native membrane. Our data provide evidence that the membrane enhances two dissipative pathways, one of which is a previously uncharacterized chlorophyll-to-carotenoid energy transfer. Our results highlight the sensitivity of the photophysics to local environment, which may control the balance between light harvesting and dissipation in vivo.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Biological Systems Science Division; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0018097
OSTI ID:
1619554
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1629981
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 11, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Evolution of flexible non-photochemical quenching mechanisms that regulate light harvesting in oxygenic photosynthesis journal June 2013
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Cited By (3)

Improvements to the APBS biomolecular solvation software suite: Improvements to the APBS Software Suite journal October 2017
Charge transfer from the carotenoid can quench chlorophyll excitation in antenna complexes of plants journal January 2020
Plant carotenoids: recent advances and future perspectives journal January 2022