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Science 9 May 2008:
Vol. 320. no. 5877, pp. 794 - 797
DOI: 10.1126/science.1154800
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Reports

Architecture of a Charge-Transfer State Regulating Light Harvesting in a Plant Antenna Protein

Tae Kyu Ahn,1,2* Thomas J. Avenson,2,3* Matteo Ballottari,4 Yuan-Chung Cheng,2 Krishna K. Niyogi,1,3 Roberto Bassi,4{dagger} Graham R. Fleming1,2{dagger}

Energy-dependent quenching of excess absorbed light energy (qE) is a vital mechanism for regulating photosynthetic light harvesting in higher plants. All of the physiological characteristics of qE have been positively correlated with charge transfer between coupled chlorophyll and zeaxanthin molecules in the light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II (PSII). We found evidence for charge-transfer quenching in all three of the individual minor antenna complexes of PSII (CP29, CP26, and CP24), and we conclude that charge-transfer quenching in CP29 involves a delocalized state of an excitonically coupled chlorophyll dimer. We propose that reversible conformational changes in CP29 can "tune" the electronic coupling between the chlorophylls in this dimer, thereby modulating the energy of the chlorophyll-zeaxanthin charge-transfer state and switching on and off the charge-transfer quenching during qE.

1 Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
2 Department of Chemistry and QB3 Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
3 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
4 Department of Science and Technology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: grfleming{at}lbl.gov (G.R.F.); bassi{at}sci.univr.it (R.B.)

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Light-induced Dissociation of an Antenna Hetero-oligomer Is Needed for Non-photochemical Quenching Induction.
N. Betterle, M. Ballottari, S. Zorzan, S. de Bianchi, S. Cazzaniga, L. Dall'Osto, T. Morosinotto, and R. Bassi (2009)
J. Biol. Chem. 284, 15255-15266
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Occupancy and Functional Architecture of the Pigment Binding Sites of Photosystem II Antenna Complex Lhcb5.
M. Ballottari, M. Mozzo, R. Croce, T. Morosinotto, and R. Bassi (2009)
J. Biol. Chem. 284, 8103-8113
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Zeaxanthin-Independent and Zeaxanthin-Dependent qE Components of Nonphotochemical Quenching Involve Common Conformational Changes within the Photosystem II Antenna in Arabidopsis.
M. P. Johnson, M. L. Perez-Bueno, A. Zia, P. Horton, and A. V. Ruban (2009)
Plant Physiology 149, 1061-1075
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Lutein Can Act as a Switchable Charge Transfer Quencher in the CP26 Light-harvesting Complex.
T. J. Avenson, T. K. Ahn, K. K. Niyogi, M. Ballottari, R. Bassi, and G. R. Fleming (2009)
J. Biol. Chem. 284, 2830-2835
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
High Glycolate Oxidase Activity Is Required for Survival of Maize in Normal Air.
I. Zelitch, N. P. Schultes, R. B. Peterson, P. Brown, and T. P. Brutnell (2009)
Plant Physiology 149, 195-204
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Induction of Efficient Energy Dissipation in the Isolated Light-harvesting Complex of Photosystem II in the Absence of Protein Aggregation.
C. Ilioaia, M. P. Johnson, P. Horton, and A. V. Ruban (2008)
J. Biol. Chem. 283, 29505-29512
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)