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Bacteriochlorophyll cs, a new bacteriochlorophyll from Chloroflexus aurantiacus.

From four strains of the gliding phototrophic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus, the as yet unknown bacteriochlorophyll cs was isolated in addition to small amounts of the known bacteriochlorophyll ap. The new bacteriochlorophyll cs is the main photosynthetic pigment of these organisms under the growth conditions used. It is different from the known bacteriochlorophylls c, as could be shown unequivocally by chromatographic examinations. Evidence for the structure of the new bacteriochlorophyll cs was obtained from mass spectra. The u.v./vis.-spectra and the chromatographic behavior are in accord with the suggested structure. The result includes two particularly interesting aspects: 1. Unlike the bacteriochlorophylls c, d, and e of the Chlorobiaceae, bacteriochlorophyll cs of Chloroflexus is not a mixture of isomeric and homologous molecules; 2. the esterifying alcohol of the propionic acid side chain is neither farnesol nor another isoprenoid alcohol, but is the straight chain aliphatic (C-18) stearylalcohol.

Bacteria↗

Control of the formation of bacteriochlorophyll, and B875- and B850-bacteriochlorophyll complexes in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides mutant strain H5.

Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides mutant H5 lacking 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase was employed to study the control of the formation of total bacteriochlorophyll as well as of the B875- and B850-bacteriochlorophyll protein complexes. The organisms were grown phototrophically in a chemostat where cell protein formation was limited by iron ions and bacteriochlorophyll by 5-aminolevulinic acid. 0.07 mol of bacteriochlorophyll was formed per mol of 5-amino-levulinic acid consumed. This stoichiometric relationship was not influenced by a twelve-fold variation in light energy flux. However, cell protein levels increased and, consequently, cellular specific bacteriochlorophyll contents decreased with increases in light energy flux. The ratio of B875- to B850-pigment protein complexes was inversely proportional to the velocity of 5-aminolevulinic acid supply (mol per cell protein and time) which in this system equals the velocity of 5-aminolevulinic acid consumption and the velocity of bacteriochlorophyll formation. Light had no direct effect on the ratio of B875- per B850-pigment complexes but an indirect effect via its control of protein formation. Changes in the ratio of the two pigment complexes resulted from the fact that significantly lower amounts of 5-aminolevulinic acid supplied per protein and time were required to saturate the system assembling the B875-complexes than that assembling the B850-complexes. The data suggest lack of light-dependent control in the formation of bacteriochlorophyll and its complexes subsequent to the 5-aminolevulinic acid pool.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗

Molecular genetic analysis of terminal steps in bacteriochlorophyll a biosynthesis: characterization of a Rhodobacter capsulatus strain that synthesizes geranylgeraniol-esterified bacteriochlorophyll a.

Site-directed mutational analysis of the Rhodobacter capsulatus photosynthesis gene cluster was undertaken in order to identify and characterize genetic loci involved in bacteriochlorophyll a biosynthesis. A mutant in orf304 was shown to accumulate the tetrapyrrole intermediate "bacteriochlorophyllide a" which is a tetrapyrrole that has a bacteriochlorophyll a ring structure without the presence of an esterifying alcohol. A mutant in orf391 is shown to synthesize bacteriochlorophyll a that is esterified with geranylgeraniol rather than the normal phytol. This latter result provides the first genetic confirmation that esterification of bacteriochlorophyllide a initially involves the addition of a geranylgeraniol group followed by sequential reduction of the geranylgeraniol moiety to phytol which is the end product of the pathway. An R. capsulatus strain synthesizing geranylgeraniol-esterified bacteriochlorophyll is shown to exhibit severely impaired photosynthetic growth capability. This is despite our observation that synthesis of geranylgeraniol-esterified bacteriochlorophyll does not affect the energy transfer rate from light harvesting to reaction center complexes nor the electron transfer function as measured by the yield of electron transfer to the primary and secondary quinones, the charge recombination rate from the quinones, and the rate of cytochrome c2 oxidation. We conclude that the observed reduction of the photosynthetic growth rate observed for R. capsulatus strains that synthesize geranylgeraniol-esterified bacteriochlorophyll is primarily a consequence of the reduced steady-state level of the photosystem.

Bacteriochlorophylls↗

[Photochemical generation of the cation-radical of bacteriochlorophyll b and the anion-radical of bacteriochlorophyll b and bacteriopheophytin b, components of the photosynthesizing bacteria Rhodopseudomonas viridis].

The mechanism of photochemical redox reaction of bacteriochlorophyll b, bacteriopheophitin b was studied. The oxidation of bacteriochlorophyll b was carried out in ethanole by means of p-benzoquinone. In ESR spectra the singlet line with delta H = 8.4 gs and g = 2.0025 corresponded to cation-radical. The changes within the region of 400-500 nm, 500-600 nm and the band with the maximum at 685 nm corresponded to cation-radical in the absorption spectra. Photoreduction of bacteriochlorophyll b and bacteriopheophitin b was carried out in triet containing phenilhydrosin. Anion-radicals of bacteriochlorophyll b and bacteriopheophitin b observed in the ESR spectra had singlet form with weak and superthin structure and correspondently with delta H = 10 gs, delta H = 12 gs. The spectrophotometric characteristics of the above pigments were obtained.

Bacteriochlorophylls↗

Nanosecond laser photolysis studies of chlorosomes and artificial aggregates containing bacteriochlorophyll e: evidence for the proximity of carotenoids and bacteriochlorophyll a in chlorosomes from Chlorobium phaeobacteroides strain CL1401.

Time-resolved, laser-induced changes in absorbance, delta A(lambda; t), have been recorded with a view to probing pigment-pigment interactions in chlorosomes (control as well as carotenoid-depleted) and artificial aggregates of bacteriochlorophyll e (BChle). Control chlorosomes were isolated from Chlorobium phaeobacteroides strain CL1401, whose chromophores comprise BChle, bacteriochlorophyll a (BChla) and several carotenoid (Car) pigments; Car-depleted chlorosomes, from cells grown in cultures containing 2-hydroxybiphenyl. Artificial aggregates were prepared by dispersing BChle in aqueous phase in the presence of monogalactosyl diglyceride. In chlorosomes delta A(lambda; t) shows, besides a signal attributable to triplet Car (with a half-life of about 4 microseconds), signals in the Qy regions of both BChl. The BChla signal decays at the same rate as the Car signal, which is explained by postulating that some Car are in intimate contact with some baseplate BChla pigments, and that when a ground-state Car changes into a triplet Car, the absorption spectrum of its BChla neighbors undergoes a concomitant change (termed transient environment-induced perturbation). The signal in the Qy-region of BChle behaves differently: its amplitude falls, under reducing conditions, by more than a factor of two during the first 0.5 microsecond (a period during which the Car signal suffers negligible diminution), and is much smaller under nonreducing conditions. The BChle signal is also attributed to transient environment-induced perturbation, but in this case the perturber is a BChle photoproduct (probably a triplet or a radical ion). The absence of long-lived BChle triplets in all three systems, and of long-lived BChla triplets in chlorosomes, indicates that BChle in densely packed assemblies is less vulnerable to photodamage than monomeric BChle and that, in chlorosome, BChla rather than BChle needs, and receives, photoprotection from an adjacent Car.

Bacteriochlorophylls↗

Comparison between chlorosomes containing bacteriochlorophyll-c and chlorosomes containing bacteriochlorophyll-d isolated from two substrains of green sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium vibrioforme NCIB 8327.

Chlorosomes containing bacteriochlorophyll(BChl)-c and those containing BChl-d were isolated from two substrains of Chlorobium vibrioforme f. sp. thiosulfatophilum NCIB 8327, respectively. The two types of chlorosomes were investigated from the following aspect, what kinds of effects the molecular structure of chlorosomal BChls had on structural and spectroscopic properties of in vivo self-aggregates in chlorosomes without alteration of the other components such as chlorosomal proteins and lipids; both chlorosomes were expected to have the same components except for light-harvesting BChls. In their visible absorption spectra, the differences of Soret and Q(y) peak positions between BChl-c containing and BChl-d containing chlorosomes were similar to the differences between monomeric BChl-c and d. An inverse S-shaped CD signal in the Q(y) region of BChl-d containing chlorosomes was 1.4 times larger than that of BChl-c containing chlorosomes, when the Q(y) absorbance of the two chlorosomes was almost the same. This implies that the excitonic interaction of BChl-d is larger than that of BChl-c in natural chlorosomes. Resonance Raman spectroscopy showed that BChl self-assemblies in both chlorosomes were essentially formed by the same local structural interaction among 3(1)-hydroxy group, 13-keto group, and central magnesium. BChl-d self-aggregates in chlorosomes were more tolerant of 1-hexanol than in vivo BChl-c aggregates, suggesting that the molecular structure of BChl-d provided more stable self-assemblies than BChl-c in natural chlorosomes.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Antenna organization in green photosynthetic bacteria. 1. Oligomeric bacteriochlorophyll c as a model for the 740 nm absorbing bacteriochlorophyll c in Chloroflexus aurantiacus chlorosomes.

Bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c was extracted from Chloroflexus aurantiacus and purified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. This pigment consists of a complex mixture of homologues, the major component of which is 4-ethyl-5-methylbacteriochlorophyll c stearyl ester. Unlike previously characterized BChls c, the pigment from C. aurantiacus is a racemic mixture of diastereoisomers with different configurations at the 2a chiral center. Diluting a concentrated methylene chloride solution of BChl c with hexane produces an oligomer with absorption maxima at 740-742 and at 460-462 nm. Both the absorption spectrum and the fluorescence emission spectrum (maximum at 750 nm) of this oligomer closely match those of BChl c in chlorosomes. Further support for this model comes from the ability of alcohols, which disrupt BChl c oligomers by ligating the central Mg atom, to convert BChl c in chlorosomes to a monomeric form when added in low concentrations. The lifetime of fluorescence from the 740 nm absorbing BChl c oligomer is about 80 ps. Although exciton quenching might be unusually fast in the in vitro BChl c oligomer because of its large size and/or the presence of minor impurities, this result suggests that energy transfer from the BChl c antenna in chlorosomes must be very fast if it is to be efficient.

Bacteria↗

Probing the bacteriochlorophyll binding site by reconstitution of the light-harvesting complex of Rhodospirillum rubrum with bacteriochlorophyll a analogues.

Structural features of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a that are required for binding to the light-harvesting proteins of Rhodospirillum rubrum were determined by testing for reconstitution of the B873 or B820 (structural subunit of B873) light-harvesting complexes with BChl a analogues. The results indicate that the binding site is very specific; of the analogues tested, only derivatives of BChl a with ethyl, phytyl, and geranylgeranyl esterifying alcohols and BChl b (phytyl) successfully reconstituted to form B820- and B873-type complexes. BChl analogues lacking magnesium, the C-3 acetyl group, or the C-13(2) carbomethoxy group did not reconstitute to form B820 or B873. Also unreactive were 13(2)-hydroxyBChl a and 3-acetylchlorophyll a. Competition experiments showed that several of these nonreconstituting analogues significantly slowed BChl a binding to form B820 and blocked BChl a-B873 formation, indicating that the analogues may competitively bind to the protein even though they do not form red-shifted complexes. With the R. rubrum polypeptides, BChl b formed complexes that were further red-shifted than those of BChl a; however, the energies of the red shifts, binding behavior, and circular dichroism (CD) spectra were similar. B873 complexes reconstituted with the geranylgeranyl BChl a derivative, which contains the native esterifying alcohol for R. rubrum, showed in-vivo-like CD features, but the phytyl and ethyl B873 complexes showed inverted CD features in the near infrared. The B820 complex with the ethyl derivative was about 30-fold less stable than the two longer esterifying alcohol derivatives, but all formed stable B873 complexes.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Comparison of the structural requirements for bacteriochlorophyll binding in the core light-harvesting complexes of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodospirillum sphaeroides using reconstitution methodology with bacteriochlorophyll analogs.

Bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) structural requirements for formation of the core light-harvesting complex (LH1) and its structural subunit complex were examined by reconstitution with BChl analogs and the alpha- and beta-polypeptides of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Comparable results were obtained with most of the BChl analogs and the polypeptides of each bacterium, indicating the conservation of BChl binding sites. These systems showed the following common requirements for formation of the subunit complex and LH1: (1) Mg or a metal of similar size and coordination chemistry (e.g., Zn, Cd, Ni), (2) a bacteriochlorin oxidation state of the macrocyclic ring, (3) a 13(2)-carbomethoxy group, and (4) an intact ring V. Some structural features were not as critically important. For example, the subunit complex and LH1 could be formed with both sets of polypeptides and BChl b, as well as with analogs containing either short (ethanol) or long (phytol) esterifying alcohols. Two derivatives were identified that behave differently with the two sets of polypeptides. The 3-acetyl group is required to form LH1 in both bacteria, although a subunit-type complex was readily formed with [3-vinyl]BChl a and the polypeptides of Rs. rubrum but formed only slightly under special conditions with polypeptides of Rb. sphaeroides. [13(2)-OH]BChl a(p) formed both subunit- and LH1-type complexes with the alpha- and beta-polypeptides of Rb. sphaeroides but not with those of Rs. rubrum. Thus, some subtle differences in the BChl binding sites exist in the LH1 complexes of these two bacteria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Circular dichroism of bacteriochlorophyll a in light harvesting bacteriochlorophyll protein complexes from Chromatium vinosum.

Bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) protein complexes containing light harvesting (LH) Bchls were isolated from Chromatium vinosum, and their CD spectra were measured in the near-infrared region. These isolated Bchl protein complexes retained the CD signals of LH Bchls that were observed in situ in chromatophores. The CD spectrum of fraction A (containing B890) consisted of paired positive and negative bands (a double CD) having a zero-crossing at 800 nm and a single negative band at around 900 nm attributed to the B890. For low 850 fraction B (B800 and B850), a double CD having a zero-crossing at 795 nm and a single negative band at around 850 nm attributed to the B850 were found. High 850 fraction B exhibited a double CD having a zero-crossing at 795 nm, a negative band at around 860 nm and a positive band at around 840 nm. For fraction C (B800 and B820), a double CD having a zero-crossing at 795 nm and a single negative band at around 830 nm, which was attributed to the B820, were found. The double CD was attributed to the B800 in fractions A, B, and C. There was no additional CD besides the CD of the isolated Bchl protein complexes in the CD spectra of chromatophores.

Bacterial Chromatophores↗

Comparative studies of protein properties and bacteriochlorophyll contents of bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes from spectrally different types of Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

The amino acid compositions, constituent polypeptides and bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) contents of two kinds of Bchl-protein complexes isolated from Rhodopseudomonas palustris were examined. Spectrally dissimilar intracytoplasmic membranes obtained from cells cultured under different conditions were used as starting materials. The B870-reaction center complex was consistent in its amino acid composition, constituent polypeptides and Bchl content, as well as in its near-infrared absorption spectrum. B800-850 complexes from the different types of intracytoplasmic membrane varied in their absorption spectra, though they had similar amino acid compositions and were comprised of basically similar kinds of polypeptides with variations only in the levels of some minor constituent polypeptides. The B800-850 complex with a low absorption peak at 850 nm had a Bchl content 1.3 times greater than the B800-850 complex with a high absorption peak at 850 nm. These results indicate that the B800-850 complex from R. palustris contains more components (both polypeptides and Bchl molecules) than the B800-850 complexes from Rhodopseudomonas capsulata and Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides.

Amino Acids↗

Regulation of carotenoid and bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis genes and identification of an evolutionarily conserved gene required for bacteriochlorophyll accumulation.

The temporal expression of ten clustered genes required for carotenoid (crt) and bacteriochlorophyll (bch) biosynthesis was examined during the transition from aerobic respiration to anaerobiosis requisite for the development of the photosynthetic membrane in the bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Accumulation of crtA, crtC, crtD, crtE, crtF, crtK, bchC and bchD mRNAs increased transiently and coordinately, up to 12-fold following removal of oxygen from the growth medium, paralleling increases in mRNAs encoding pigment-binding polypeptides of the photosynthetic apparatus. The crtB and crtI genes, in contrast, were expressed similarly in the presence or absence of oxygen. The regulation patterns of promoters for the crtA and crtI genes and the bchCXYZ operon were characterized using lacZ transcriptional fusion and qualitatively reflected the corresponding mRNA accumulation patterns. We also report that the bchI gene product, encoded by a DNA sequence previously considered to be a portion of crtA, shares 49% sequence identity with the nuclear-encoded Arabidopsis thaliana Cs chloroplast protein required for normal pigmentation in plants.

Aerobiosis↗

Chlorobium tepidum mutant lacking bacteriochlorophyll c made by inactivation of the bchK gene, encoding bacteriochlorophyll c synthase.

The gene encoding bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c synthase was identified by insertional inactivation in the photosynthetic green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum and was named bchK. The bchK mutant of C. tepidum was rusty-orange in color and completely lacked BChl c. Because of the absence of the BChl c antenna, the mutant grew about seven times slower than the wild type at light intensities that were limiting to the wild type (< 90 micromol m(-2) s(-1)). Various pheophorbides, which probably represent precursors of BChl c which had lost magnesium, accumulated in the mutant cells. A small fraction of these pheophorbides were apparently esterified by the remaining chlorophyll (Chl) a and BChl a synthases in cells. The amounts of BChl a, Chl a, isoprenoid quinones, carotenoids, Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein, and chlorosome envelope protein CsmA were not significantly altered on a cellular basis in the mutant compared to in the wild type. This suggests that the BChl a antennae, photosynthetic reaction centers, and remaining chlorosome components were essentially unaffected in the mutant. Electron microscopy of thin sections revealed that the mutant lacked normal chlorosomes. However, a fraction containing vestigial chlorosomes, denoted "carotenosomes," was partly purified by density centrifugation; these structures contained carotenoids, isoprenoid quinones, and a 798-nm-absorbing BChl a species that is probably protein associated. Because of the absence of the strong BChl c absorption found in the wild type, the bchK mutant should prove valuable for future analyses of the photosynthetic reaction center and of the roles of BChl a in photosynthesis in green bacteria. An evolutionary implication of our findings is that the photosynthetic ancestor of green sulfur bacteria could have evolved without chlorosomes and BChl c and instead used only BChl a-containing proteins as the major light-harvesting antennae.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Photodynamics of the bacteriochlorophyll-carotenoid system. 2. Influence of central metal, solvent and beta-carotene on photobleaching of bacteriochlorophyll derivatives.

Bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) derivatives (with central Mg replaced by metal "M") ([M]-BChl with M = 2H, Mg, Zn, Pd, Cu) have been investigated for their photodynamic capacity and stability toward photodegradation in organic solvents and aqueous micellar solution. A protocol has been developed for screening new sensitizers. BChl and [Zn]-BChl are efficient sensitizers, but they are also quickly degraded by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by autosensitization, as well as by hetero-sensitization with 17(4)-methyl-13(2)-demethoxycarbonyl-pheophorbide a (MPP). Photostable [Cu]-BChl is a poor sensitizer, whereas [Pd]-BChl and bacteriopheophytin a are not only very efficient sensitizers but are also very stable toward ROS. beta-Carotene is no efficient physical quencher of ROS in the system; rather, it acts as a photochemical quencher that competes with [M]-BChl and undergoes photooxygenation at high rates. Photolability seems to depend on the pigment oxidation potential and, in parallel, on the presence of central metals preferring coordination numbers higher than 4, whereas photodynamic capacity depends on long excited state life-times of the pigment or efficient intersystem crossing (or both).

Bacteriochlorophylls↗

Presence of exclusively bacteriochlorophyll-c containing substrain in the culture of green sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium vibrioforme strain NCIB 8327 producing bacteriochlorophyll-d.

The light-dependent composition change of light harvesting bacteriochlorophyll(BChl)s in the present culture of a green sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium (Chl.) vibrioforme f. sp. thiosulfatophilum strain NCIB 8327 was investigated by visible absorption spectroscopy and HPLC analyses. When the culture was repeatedly grown in liquid media under a low light condition, both the Soret and Qy absorption bands of the in vivo spectrum were shifted to longer wavelengths. Analysis of the extracted pigments by HPLC revealed that the ratio of the amount of BChl-c to that of BChl-d molecules gradually increased during repeated cultivation. In contrast, when the culture grown under a low light intensity was transferred to a high light condition and continued to be grown, the absorption bands were shifted to shorter wavelengths and the ratio of BChls-c/d decreased finally to the almost original value. Colonies were prepared on solid agar media from the liquid culture containing both BChls-c and d, which was grown under a low light intensity. Each colony obtained was found to contain either BChl-c or d, but not both of them. Two types of cells isolated in this study were derived from the same clone, judged from their genetic analyses. The variation of pigment composition in our liquid culture observed here could be ascribed to the difference of growth rates between two substrains containing BChl-c and BChl-d, respectively, depending on light conditions.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Bacteriochlorophyll electronic transition moment directions in bacteriochlorophyll a-protein.

The low-temperature 800-nm band absorption and circular dichroism spectra of the bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) a-protein from Prosthecochloris aestuarii strain 2K are analyzed theoretically. These spectra show considerable structure that is attributed primarily to resonance (exciton) interactions among the lowest singlet transitions of the Bchl a molecules contained in each protein. We calculate these spectra from the known arrangement of the Bchl molecules in the protein. With the conventional assignment of the lowest singlet transition of Bchl a as Q(y) (y-polarized), agreement of calculated spectra with experiment is poor. All of our attempts, based on this conventional assignment, to improve the theoretical fits to absorption and circular dichroism spectra simultaneously are unsuccessful. However, by making the simple but unconventional assumption that the lowest singlet transition in each of the Bchl a molecules in each protein is x-polarized rather than y-polarized, we find good agreement between calculated and observed spectra. If these results are not fortuitous, they indicate that there is a systematic error in the protein structural model, that the conventional assignments of Bchl a transitions are incorrect, or that the protein environment provides a sufficiently strong perturbation to rotate the lowest singlet transition moment direction by approximately 90 degrees , presumably by changing the order of certain of the Bchl a orbitals.

Journal Article↗

Comparative study of optical absorption and circular dichroism of bacteriochlorophyll oligomers in Triton X-100, the antenna pigment B850, and the primary donor P-860 of photosynthetic bacteria indicates that all are similar dimers of bacteriochlorophyll a.

Dimers of bacteriochlorophyll a (Bchla) with optical absorption maximum at 853 nm and a nonconservative circular dichroism spectrum are formed in a solution of formamide/water that contains micelles of Triton X-100. The apparent equilibrium constant and the corresponding Gibbs energy change for the Bchl self-organization are 4.9 x 10(6) M(-1) and -9.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The experimental absorption and circular dichroism spectra of the in vitro Bchl dimer (termed Bchl-853) are similar to the spectra of the bacterial light-harvesting complex B850 and the primary electron donor P-860 and probably point to a common structural motif. Indeed, simulation of the dimers' spectra (optical absorption and circular dichroism), achieved by using an extended version of the exciton theory, suggests the same geometry as recently elucidated for P-860 by x-ray diffraction crystallography. The proposed geometry is predicted to have the minimum energy in the gas phase. In conclusion, the spectral properties of the bathochromically shifted forms of Bchla are likely a result of strong dipolar interactions in self-organized structures of Bchls.

Journal Article↗

Circular dichroism of bacteriochlorophyll a in light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes from Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

Bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl)-protein complexes containing light-harvesting Bchls were isolated from Rhodopseudomonas palustris, and the CD spectra of these complexes were measured in the near-infrared region. These isolated Bchl-protein complexes retained the CD signals of light-harvesting Bchls that were observed in intracytoplasmic membrane preparation. Comparison of the CD spectrum of B870-reaction center complexes with that of the isolated reaction centers revealed that the peak at 860 nm and the trough at 890 nm were attributable to the B870 spectral form, and that the peak at 790 nm and the trough at 810 nm were not all attributable to the reaction center. The CD spectra of spectrally different types of B800--850 complex revealed that the magnitudes of the peak at 840--850 nm and the trough at 860--870 nm were correlated with the magnitude of the absorption peak at around 850 nm. Therefore, these positive and negative CD bands were attributable to the B850 spectral form. In a similar manner, the peak at 810--820 nm and trough at 790 nm were attributable to the B800 spectral form.

Bacterial Proteins↗