J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 260, Issue 6, 3295-3304, 03, 1985
Photosynthetic membrane development in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. Spectral and kinetic characterization of redox components of light- driven electron flow in apparent photosynthetic membrane growth initiation sites
JR Bowyer, CN Hunter, T Ohnishi and RA Niederman
The kinetics of light-driven electron flow and the nature of redox centers
at apparent photosynthetic membrane growth initiation sites in
Rhodopseudomans sphaeroides were compared to those of intracytoplasmic
photosynthetic membranes. In sucrose gradients, these membrane growth sites
sediment more slowly than intracytoplasmic membrane-derived chromatophores
and form an upper pigmented band. Cytochromes c1, c2, b561, and b566 were
demonstrated in the upper fraction by redox potentiometry; c-type
cytochromes were also detected electrophoretically. Signals characteristic
of light-induced reaction center bacteriochlorophyll triplet and
photooxidized reaction center bacteriochlorophyll dimer states were
observed by EPR spectroscopy but the Rieske iron-sulfur signal of the
ubiquinol-cytochrome c2 oxidoreductase was present at a 3-fold reduced
level on a reaction center basis in comparison to chromatophores.
Flash-induced absorbance measurements of the upper pigmented fraction
demonstrated reaction center primary and secondary semiquinone anion
acceptor signals, but cytochrome b561 photoreduction and cytochrome c1/c2
reactions occurred at slow rates. This fraction was enriched approximately
2- and 4-fold in total b- and c-type cytochromes, respectively, per
reaction center over chromatophores, but photoreducible b-type cytochrome
was lower. Measurements of respiratory activity indicated a 1.6-fold higher
level of succinate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase/reaction center than in
chromatophores, but the apparent turnover rates in both preparations were
low. Overall, the results suggest that complete cycles of rapid,
light-driven electron flow do not occur merely by introduction of newly
synthesized reaction centers into respiratory membrane, but that subsequent
synthesis and assembly of appropriate components of the
ubiquinol-cytochrome c2 oxidoreductase is required.