Two-dimensional crystals formed from photosynthetic reaction centers.

Photosynthetic reaction centers from the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis were prepared after detergent solubilization of photosynthetic membranes. The purified reaction centers, in agreement with reports from other laboratories, contain four distinct polypeptides ranging in molecular weight from 28,000 to 41,000. When the detergent was gradually removed by dialysis under appropriate conditions, large two-dimensional sheets of reaction centers were formed, suitable for analysis by electron microscopy. The crystals were rectangular, and the dimensions of a single unit cell were 121 X 129 A. Each unit cell contained four distinct subunits, each with approximate dimensions of 45 X 60 A. The thickness of the sheet was 60 A. Preliminary studies of the sheets with negative staining indicated that the sheets show a high degree of order: as many as six orders are visible in transforms of the images. Because of the fact that in R. viridis the native membrane from which these reaction centers were purified also displays a crystal-like structure, comparative studies between a membrane and one of its components, each analyzed by Fourier techniques, are now possible.

Partial symmetrization of the photosynthetic reaction center.

The bacterial photosynthetic reaction center (RC) is a pigmented intrinsic membrane protein that performs the primary charge separation event of photosynthesis, thereby converting light to chemical energy. The RC pigments are bound primarily by two homologous peptides, the L and M subunits, each containing five transmembrane helices. These alpha helices and pigments are arranged in an approximate C2 symmetry and form two possible electron transfer pathways. Only one of these pathways is actually used. In an attempt to identify nonhomologous residues that are responsible for functional differences between the two branches, homologous helical regions that interact extensively with the pigments were genetically symmetrized (that is, exchanged). For example, replacement of the fourth transmembrane helix (D helix) in the M subunit with the homologous helix from the L subunit yields photosynthetically inactive RCs lacking a critical photoactive pigment. Photosynthetic revertants have been isolated in which single amino acid substitutions (intragenic suppressors) compensate for this partial symmetrization.

Isolation of two new natural pteridines from photosynthetic bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides.

Two new natural pteridines have been isolated from the cultured medium of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides GM-1. The compounds are tentatively identified as 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-hydroxy-6-(1,2, 3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)pteridine and 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-(3-hydroxy-4-phosphonoxy-1-butenyl)pteridine by degradative experiments and by electrophoretic and paper chromatographic comparison with authentic materials.

Individual 1H-NMR assignments for the heme groups and the axially bound amino acids and determination of the coordination geometry at the heme iron in a mixture of two isocytochromes c-551 from Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa.

This paper describes chemical and physicochemical studies of two small isocytochromes c-551 (approx. 9000 dalton) from Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa. In spite of numerous amino acid substitutions in the N-terminal half of the sequence the two isoproteins could not be separated by the procedures used, presumably because they have identical size, charge and isoelectric points. Individual assignments of the 1H-NMR lines of heme c and the axial ligands to the heme iron were therefore obtained by nuclear Overhauser enhancement measurements and saturation transfer experiments in a mixed solution of the two isocytochromes c-551. The conformation of the coordination sphere was investigated by additional 1H-NMR and circular dichroism studies. For both isoproteins the electronic structure of the heme and the chirality of the methionine attachment to the iron were found to coincide with those in Pseudomonas cytochromes c-551, i.e., S chirality was observed for the axial methionine. The Rps. gelatinosa cytochromes c-551 thus differ from mammalian, yeast, Euglena gracilis and Rhodospirillum rubrum cytochromes c, which all have R chirality at the axial methionine and concomitantly a characteristically different electronic heme structure. This is the first observation of S chirality of the axially bound methionine in a species outside the Pseudomonas family. The redox potentials of the two isocytochromes c-551 of Rps. gelatinosa differ by approx. 120 mV, and there is no cross-exchange of electrons between the two species. The two isoproteins could thus function in two different, parallel electron-transfer chains or at two different locations in a single transfer sequence.

Identification of the carotenoid present in the B-800-850 antenna complex from Rhodopseudomonas capsulata as that which responds electrochromically to transmembrane electric fields.

Mild proteolysis of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata chromatophores results in a parallel loss of the 800 nm bacteriochlorophyll absorption band a blue shift in the carotenoid absorption bands associated with the B-800-850 light-harvesting complex. Both the light-induced and the salt-induced electrochromic carotenoid band shift disappear in parallel to the loss of the 800 nm bacteriochlorphyll absorption upon pronase treatment of chromatophores. During the time required for the loss of the 800 nm bacteriochlorophyll absorption and the loss of the electrochromic cartenoid band shift photochemistry is not inhibited and the ionic conductance of the membrane remains very low. We conclude that the carotenoid associated with the B-800-850 light-harvesting complex is the one that responds electrochromically to the transmembrane electric field. Analysis of the pigment content of Rps. capsulata chromatophores indicates that all of the carotenoid may be accounted for in the well defined pigment-protein complexes.

Soluble cytochromes and ferredoxins from the marine purple phototrophic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas marina.

Four soluble c-type cytochromes, the high redox potential 4-Fe-S ferredoxin known as HiPIP, a large molecular weight 2-Fe-S ferredoxin and a 4-Fe-S 'bacterial' ferredoxin, were isolated from extracts of two strains of Rps. marina. Cytochrome c-550, cytochrome c' and cytochrome c-549 were previously described, and we have extended their characterization. Cytochrome c-558, which has not previously been observed in Rps. marina, appears to be a low-spin isozyme of the more commonly observed high-spin cytochrome c'. HiPIP, which was not observed in previous work, was found to be abundant in Rps. marina. The 2-Fe-S ferredoxin, which has previously been observed only in Rps. palustris, has a native size greater than 100 kDa and a subunit size of 17 kDa. The 'bacterial' ferredoxin appears to have only a single four-iron-sulfur cluster. We examined photosynthetic membranes by difference spectroscopy and found abundant c-type cytochromes. Approximately one-quarter of the heme can be reduced by ascorbate and the remainder by dithionite. There is 2 nm difference between the high-potential heme (554 nm) and the low (552 nm). These characteristics resemble those of the tetraheme reaction center cytochrome of Rps. viridis. In addition to the electron transfer components, we found small amounts of a fluorescent yellow protein which has spectral resemblance to a photoactive yellow protein from Ec. halophila.

Electrostatic control of charge separation in bacterial photosynthesis.

Electrostatic interaction energies of the electron carriers with their surroundings in a photosynthetic bacterial reaction center are calculated. The calculations are based on the detailed crystal structure of reaction centers from Rhodopseu-domonas viridis, and use an iterative, self-consistent procedure to evaluate the effects of induced dipoles in the protein and the surrounding membrane. To obtain the free energies of radical-pair states, the calculated electrostatic interaction energies are combined with the experimentally measured midpoint redox potentials of the electron carriers and of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) and bacteriopheophytin (BPh) in vitro. The P+HL- radical-pair, in which an electron has moved from the primary electron donor (P) to a BPh on the 'L' side of the reaction center (HL), is found to lie approx. 2.0 kcal/mol below the lowest excited singlet state (P*), when the radical-pair is formed in the static crystallographic structure. The reorganization energy for the subsequent relaxation of P+HL- is calculated to be 5.0 kcal/mol, so that the relaxed radical-pair lies about 7 kcal/mol below P*. The unrelaxed P+BL- radical-pair, in which the electron acceptor is the accessory BChl located between P and HL, appears to be essentially isoenergetic with P*.P+BM-, in which an electron moves to the BChl on the 'M' side, is calculated to lie about 5.5 kcal/mol above P*. These results have an estimated error range of +/- 2.5 kcal/mol. They are shown to be relatively insensitive to various details of the model, including the charge distribution in P+, the atomic charges used for the amino acid residues, the boundaries of the structural region that is considered microscopically and the treatments of the histidyl ligands of P and of potentially ionizable amino acids. The calculated free energies are consistent with rapid electron transfer from P* to HL by way of BL, and with a much slower electron transfer to the pigments on the M side. Tyrosine M208 appears to play a particularly important role in lowering the energy of P+BL-. Electrostatic interactions with the protein favor localization of the positive charge of P+ on PM, one of the two BChl molecules that make up the electron donor.

Crystallization and preliminary analysis of crystals of cytochrome c2 from Rhodopseudomonas capsulata.

Two crystal forms of the cytochrome c2 isolated from Rhodopseudomonas capsulata have been obtained. One crystal form (type I), grown from ammonium sulfate solutions at pH 7.5, belongs to the space group R32 with unit cell dimensions of a = b = 100.0 A, and c = 162.2 A in the hexagonal setting. These crystals most likely contain two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The other crystal form (type II) was obtained from polyethylene glycol 6000 solutions at pH 6.5. Type II crystals belong to the space group P3(1)21 or P3(2)21 with one molecule per asymmetric unit and unit cell dimensions of a = b = 52.4 A, and c = 87.9 A. Both crystal forms diffract to at least 1.8 A resolution and appear to be resistant to radiation damage.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of ferrocytochrome c2 from Rhodopseudomonas viridis.

Crystals of ferrocytochrome c2 from a non-sulphur purple photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas viridis, have been grown from ammonium sulphate solution at pH 8.5 by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion procedure. The crystals belong to the trigonal system, space group P3(1)21 (or its enantiomorph P3(2)21) with unit-cell dimensions of a = b = 75.8 A and c = 40.1 A, and diffract to at least 2.0 A resolution. Assuming that an asymmetric unit contains one protein molecule (approx. 12,300 Mr), the solvent content of the crystal is approximately 54.5% (v/v).

X-ray structure analysis of a membrane protein complex. Electron density map at 3 A resolution and a model of the chromophores of the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodopseudomonas viridis.

X-ray analysis of three-dimensional crystals of the photosynthetic reaction center from the purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis led to an electron density distribution at 3 A resolution calculated with phases from multiple isomorphous replacement. The protein subunits of the complex were identified. An atomic model of the prosthetic groups of the reaction center complex (4 bacteriochlorophyll b, 2 bacteriopheophytin b. 1 non-heme iron, 1 menaquinone, 4 heme groups) was built. The arrangement of the ring systems of the bacteriochlorophyll b and bacteriopheophytin b molecules shows a local 2-fold rotation symmetry; two bacteriochlorophyll b form a closely associated, non-covalently linked dimer ("special pair"). A different local 2-fold symmetry axis is observed for the heme groups of the cytochrome part.

Sub-picosecond dynamics of excited state of primary electron donor in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas viridis as revealed by hole burning at 1.7K broad and narrow holes.

Within the QF band of the primary electron donor (P), the spectra of absorbance changes due to the formation of a state of P+QA- (QA is the primary quinone) at 1.7K in Rhodopseudomonas viridis reaction centers excited at 1014 nm have been shown to involve two spectral features characterized by: (i) a progression of broad (170-190 cm-1) Gaussian vibronic bands (S-factor = 1.4) separated by 150 cm-1 and (ii) a 'narrow' structure near 1014 nm, characterized by 0-0 transition at 1014 nm with a width of approximately 50 cm-1 and 0-1 transition at 1000 nm with the width of approximately 100 cm-1, and S-factor = 0.9. The width of 50 cm-1 can be related to either zero-phonon hole (ZPH) width or the structure involving phonon wings and ZPH being unresolved. Since dichroic value (approximately 0.37) is unvarying over the P band, the vibrations involved are totally symmetric. The ZPH (width of approximately 3 cm-1) and phonon wings (frequency of approximately 30 cm-1) are resolved within the P band near 1014 nm when the spectrum of delta A due to the formation of bacteriopheophytinL- is measured at 1.7K.

Absorption and fluorescence spectra of light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes from Rhodopseudomonas palustris in the near-infrared region.

Bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl)-protein complexes were isolated from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Detergent treatment and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under rather mild conditions resulted in clear separation of light-harvesting Bchls into B870 Bhls and B800-850 Bchls as two distinctly different protein complexes. It was shown that almost all the Bchl contained in intracytoplasmic membranes was recovered as either B870-reaction center complexes or B800-850 complexes without loss of Bchls as free pigments. Furthermore, it was shown that the spectral form of each type of Bchl was not altered by this procedure for isolation, as judged by the calculated absorption spectrum which was the sum of the absorption spectra of the isolated complexes. Fluorescence measurement of the isolated complexes and intracytoplasmic membranes not only supported these ideas, but also indicated that the excited state was actually transferred from B800-850 Bchls to B870 Bchls. The isolation and measurements of absorption and fluorescence were carried out on spectrally different types of intracytoplasmic membrane from cells cultured under different culture conditions. The B870-reaction center complexes from different types of intracytoplasmic membrane were spectrally identical. The B800-850 complexes were widely different in absorption spectra, especially in the ratios of peaks at 800 and 850 nm, but exhibited similar fluorescence spectra.

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.

Isolation, characterization, and comparison of a ubiquitous pigment-protein complex consisting of a reaction center and light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll proteins present in purple photosynthetic bacteria.

Protein complexes (photochemical reaction complex; PR complex) bound to both light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll-1 (LH-Bchl-1) and reaction center Bchl (RC-Bchl) were purified from Rhodospirillum rubrum (wild and carotenoid-less), Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides (wild), and Chromatium vinosum (wild). Another protein complex (LH-2 complex) bound to LH-Bchl-2 was also purified from Rps. sphaeroides. The bacteria were grown in the presence of a [14C]amino acid mixture. The purification procedure included molecular-sieve chromatography in the presence of cholate-deoxycholate, and non-equilibrated isoelectric electrophoresis with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylamino]-1-propanesulfonate. The purified complexes were separated into their constituent proteins by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molar ratios of the proteins were determined by comparing their radioactivities divided by their molecular weights after consideration of the molecular masses of the complexes. The PR complexes all contained per mol: 1 mol each of RC H-, M-, and L-subunits, 10-13 (probably 12) mol each of two other proteins with molecular weights of 11-12K and 8-11K, 28-32 mol Bchl, 13-15 mol carotenoids (except in the carotenoid-less mutant), 2.6-3.9 mol ubiquinone (or menaquinone in Chr. vinosum), and 53-79 mol phosphate without phospholipid. The LH-2 complex contained per mol: 1 mol 52K protein, about 13 (probably 12) mol each of 9K and 8K proteins, 30 mol Bchl, 10 mol carotenoids, and 38 mol phosphate without phospholipid. The PR complexes and LH-2 complex showed similar X-ray diffraction patterns, implying that they had similar, highly organized molecular structures.

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.

Bacterial peptides with C-terminal similarities to bovine neurotensin.

Using radioimmunoassay, peptides resembling the C-terminal region of bovine neurotensin (NT) have been demonstrated in acid/acetone extracts of Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Escherichia coli, and Caulaobacter crescentus. The NT-like bacterial components were shown to behave as peptides of small molecular weight (less than 2000) which were stable to acid and heat but labile to proteolytic digestion. In the radioimmunoassay toward NT they displayed dose-response curves parallel to standard and gave results indicating a competitive type of interaction with NT binding sites on antibody. The bacterial extracts did not register in a control radioimmunoassay toward rat luteinizing hormone. Some of the NT-like immunoreactivity could also be bound to an retrieved from anti-NT-antibody-Sepharose preparations. Since the C-terminal region of NT constitutes its biologically active core, these results suggest that presence of biologically important congeners of NT in bacteria.

Identification of a 2, 3-diamino-2, 3-dideoxyhexose in the lipid A component of lipopolysaccharides of Rhodopseudomonas viridis and Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

A hitherto unknown amino sugar (Compound A), detected in acid hydrolyzates of lipopolysaccharides of Rhodopseudomonas viridis and Rhodopseudomonas palustris, is present in the Lipid A component but not in the O-specific part of the lipopolysaccharides. 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose is lacking in the purified Lipid A of both strains. Compound A, characterized by a very high migration in paper electrophoresis was obtained in a pure state by ion-exchange chromatography and shown by m.s. of the alditol acetate to be a 2, 3-diamino-2, 3-dideoxyhexose. G.l.c. and periodate oxidation excluded all possible stereoisomers with the exception of 2, 3-diamino-2, 3-dideoxyglucose and 2, 3-diamino-2, 3-dideoxydose. G.l.c. of the alditol acetates of Compound A and of the glucose derivative suggests that Compound A is 2, 3-diamino-2, 3-dideoxyglucose. The significance of the occurrence of this new aminodeoxy sugar in the Lipid A component of Rhodopseudomonas viridis and Rhodopseudomonas palustris O-antigens for the biological properties of the respective lipopolysaccharides and for the taxonomy of the Rhodospirillaceae family is discussed.

Enzymatic modification for improving nutritional qualities and acceptability of proteins extracted from photosynthetic microorganisms Spirulina maxima and Rhodopseudomonas capsulatus.

The present study attempts to improve the proteins from a blue-green alga Spirulina maxima and a non-sulfur purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulatus through their peptic hydrolysis followed by plastein synthesis with papain. The former enzymatic process was effective in removing some photosynthetic pigments and flavors originating in the raw materials. The latter process was successful in incorporating limited amounts of methionine, lysine, and tryptophan, and thus to synthesize plasteins whose essential amino acid patterns resemble the FAO/WHO suggested pattern (1973). These plasteins had no colors and no flavors.

[Molecular organization of the long-wave complexes of purple photosynthesizing bacteria. Effect of pronase on the B890 complex of Chromatium minutissium and Rhodopseudomonas palustris]. / Molekuliarnaia organizatsiia dlinnovolnovykh kompleksov purpurnykh fotosinteziruiushchikh bakterii. Issledovanie deistviia pronazy na kompleksy B890 Chromatium minutissimum i Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

The pronase action on the long-wave complexes B890 from two different purple bacteria has been investigated. Differences in the kinetics of decrease of the reaction center photochemical activity of electron-donor activity of cytochromes and of destruction of Bx890 (875) forms have been discovered. Different rates of the proteolysis of RC proteins were revealed by SDS-gel-electrophoresis. The heavy protein of RC was the first to degrade. The photochemical transformations deltaA890(875) in B890 complexes was observed during formation of peptides with molecular weight about 17 000 from two other RC proteins. On the basis of obtained data the model of molecular organization of B890 complexes from purple bacteria is discussed.