BIPHASIC ENERGY CONVERSION KINETICS AND ABSORBANCE DIFFERENCE SPECTRA OF PHOTOSYSTEM II OF CHLOROPLASTS. EVIDENCE FOR TWO DIFFERENT PHOTOSYSTEM II REACTION CENTERS

Abstract— The continuous illumination induced kinetics of photochemical energy conversion at system II have been measured with isolated and 3-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-l, l-dimethylurea (DCMU) poisoned chloroplasts by means of absorbance difference spectroscopy in the UV and by the area growth over the fluorescence induction curve at room temperature. An optimal set of conditions was found in order to isolate absorbance changes caused by the reduction of the primary electron acceptor Q of PS II by suppressing other electron transfer processes. The light induced kinetics of Q- accumulation in the absorbance change measurements were found to be biphasic and strictly correlated with the kinetics of the area growth measured under the same conditions. From the resolution of the biphasic kinetics at different wavelengths in the UV region of the spectrum, it was found that both kinetic components in the system II photochemistry involve the reduction of a plastoquinone molecule to its plastosemiquinone anion. From the two kinetic components one was fast and non-exponential and the other relatively slow with an exponential time course. The initial rate difference in the kinetics of the two components was by a factor of approximately 3. A difference by a factor of about three was also found in the flash saturation curves of the two kinetic components.
The results are explained by the hypothesis that in higher plant chloroplasts there are system II reaction centers embedded in a large pigment matrix with statistical energy transfer, and system II reaction centers embedded in separate, in terms of excitation energy transfer, units. The effective absorption cross section per reaction center for the centers in the statistical pigment bed is approximately 3 times larger than that of the reaction centers in the separate system II units. The two types of system II reaction centers have different yields of excitation trapping and charge stabilization properties.     

KINETIC ANALYSIS OF THE FLUORESCENCE INDUCTION IN 3-(3,4-DICHLOROPHENYL)-1,1-DIMETHYLUREA POISONED CHLOROPLASTS

Abstract— The size of the area over the fluorescence rise curve of chloroplasts is a measure of the total number of quanta utilized in photosystem II during the fluorescence induction, while the growth of the area reflects the progress of photochemical events. In the presence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), the growth kinetics of the area are affected by the reoxidation of the primary acceptor Q ^- with stored oxidizing charges on the donor side of system II.
At low light intensities, a slow component of this back reaction may limit the steady state fluorescence emission. At higher intensities, however, the fluorescence rise is limited solely by photochemical events, although fast thermochemical reactions like the immediate recombination of photochemically separated charges may affect the efficiency of the photochemistry.
A kinetic analysis of the area growth at moderate light intensities revealed that it occurred in two first order phases which were described by the rate constants k _α and k _β. The biphasic nature suggested a sequential two-electron reduction of the primary acceptor Q , or the presence of two different types of photochemical centers in system II. The rate constants were light intensity dependent. They also were affected by changes in pH, by an addition of NH₂OH, or by a preillumination with short flashes prior to addition of DCMU. It is suggested that the pH of the medium, the presence of NH₂OH, and the flash induced state S_n of the water splitting enzyme, control the values of k _α and k _β by changing the rate constants of electron carrier interactions in the reaction center complex, with a resulting modification of the frequency of back reactions between the primary donor and the primary acceptor.     

STUDIES OF SYSTEM II PHOTOCENTERS BY COMPARATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF LUMINESCENCE,FLUORESCENCE, AND OXYGEN EMISSION*

Abstract— New results are presented on the emission of oxygen by algae and chloroplasts illuminated by a sequence of short saturating flashes. These results favor the four-state hypothesis of Kok and co-workers, in which formation of oxygen requires the accumulation of four oxidants produced by four successive photoreactions. Deactivation of the more oxidized precursor states in the dark is studied under different conditions of preillumination. Our results suggest that both a one step and a two step mechanism of deactivation exist. In order to understand the biological significance of Kok's parameter α—the fraction of photochemical centers unable to react on each flash (“misses”)-we study reoxidation of acceptor Q after one flash by fluorescence techniques. It appears that a fraction of Q^- is reoxidized by a back reaction which cancels the effect of the preilluminating flash and is probably responsible for the misses. The results of some luminescence experiments are also reported. These experiments demonstrate that delayed emission of light is associated with the deactivation of states S₂ and S₃. It is possible that excitons produced by deactivation can be reabsorbed by active photochemical centers, which can modify considerably the deactivation process.     

Algorithm for analysis of OJDIP fluorescence induction curves in terms of photo- and electrochemical events in photosystems of plant cells: derivation and application

The algorithm for simulation of the OJDIP fluorescence induction curve in chloroplasts under variable conditions is presented. It is derived from analyzes of chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics upon excitation with single- (STF), twin- (TTF) and repetitive STF excitations, and from the rate equations that describe the sequence of transfer steps associated with the reduction of the primary quinone acceptor Q_A and the release of photochemical fluorescence quenching of photosystem II (PSII) in multi-turnover excitation (MTF). The fluorescence induction algorithm (FIA) considers a photochemical O–J–D, a photo-electrochemical J–I and an I–P component (phase) which probably is associated with a photo-electric interaction between PSI and PSII. The photochemical phase incorporates the kinetics associated with the double reduction of the acceptor pair [PheQ_A] in Q_B–nonreducing reaction centers (RCs) and the associated doubling of the variable fluorescence, in agreement with the three-state trapping model (TSTM) of PSII. Application of and results with the algorithm are illustrated for MTF-induced OJDIP curves, measured in dark-adapted, in STF pre-excited and in DCMU inhibited thylakoids.     

FLASH PHOTOLYSIS-ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE STUDIES OF THE INTERACTION OF PHENAZINE METHOSULFATE WITH REACTION-CENTER PREPARATIONS FROM THE R-26 MUTANT OF RHODOPSEUDOMONAS SPHEROIDES*

Abstract— Using the technique of flash photolysis-electron spin resonance, we have shown, by means of a kinetic analysis, that phenazine methosulfate (PMS) interacts with reaction-center preparations from the blue-green mutant R26 of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. At intermediate concentrations of PMS, biphasic decay kinetics of the P870⁺ ESR signal are observed demonstrating that the PMS radical interacts with reaction centers by a specific binding mechanism. With PMS bound to reaction centers, the P870⁺ ESR signal decays in ˜ 1 ms; whereas, in unbound reaction centers the decay is ˜ 120 ms. A model is proposed involving the interaction of PMS on the donor side of P870.     

PHOTOPHYSICAL and PHOTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF COUMARIN DYES IN AMPHIPHILIC MEDIA

Abstract— Photophysical properties of coumarin dyes solubilized in aqueous detergent solutions have been investigated including measurement of absorption and fluorescence emission maxima, and fluorescence quantum yields. Use of coumarin 4 as a fluorescence probe of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solutions led to the conclusion that the sites for dye incorporation in micelles are significantly hydrogen-bonded (hydrated). The inhibition of photochemical decomposition for detergent-solubilizcd dyes has also been observed. Electron transfer from micelle-bound dye to a water soluble acceptor, methyl viologen, has been investigated by flash photolysis.     

DETERMINATION OF THE KINETICS OF THE BACK REACTION OF PHOTOSYSTEM II IN THE PRESENCE OF 3–(3,4-DICHLORPHENYL)-1,1-DIMETHYLUREA FROM LUMINESCENCE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract— An alternative method to that used by Mar and Roy (1974) for the determination of the kinetics of the back reaction of photosystem II from the luminescence decay curve in the presence of 3–(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) has been suggested. The new theory relies upon two hypotheses: the well-known recombination hypothesis of luminescence and the assumption that the luminescence yield in the seconds region is given by the variable part of the live fluorescence yield. The second hypothesis was introduced since assuming a constant luminescence yield results in kinetic data that are not consistent with measurements of the kinetics of the back reaction by the restoration of the area over the fluorescence rise curve. The dependence of the live fluorescence yield from the concentration of closed PS II traps was assumed to be represented by Delosme's expression originally derived for the rise curve of the fluorescence yield in the presence of DCMU.
The theory is based on the fact that then the partial and total light sums of luminescence are simple functions of the concentration of the primary electron acceptor Q^- of PS II. Thus, after integrating the luminescence decay curve the theory permits a convenient evaluation of the kinetics of the back reaction [Q^-]( t ) in terms of the partial and total light sum.
This method was applied in order to determine the kinetics of the back reaction in Chlorella fusca in the presence of DCMU. It is shown that the kinetics of deactivation of the S, state can be described using the expression for the kinetics of the back reaction derived by Mar and Roy. As an alternative explanation, a biphasic first order decay of S₂ is proposed.     

COMPARAISON ENTRE L''EMISSION D''OXYGENE ET L''EMISSION DE LUMINESCENCE A LA SUITE D''UNE SERIE D''ECLAIRS SATURANTS

Abstract— Luminescence of Chlorella cells has been measured after illumination by a series of short saturating flashes.
The intensity of luminescence is strongly dependent upon the number of flashes; luminescence is minimum after a single flash and maximum after a double flash illumination.
If l /_n is the intensity of luminescence measured 0.24 sec after the nth flash, the series l _n shows oscillations as a function of n. The series l _n is very similar to the series y _n, in which y is the amount of oxygen evolved by the nth flash, the term l _n corresponding to the term y _n+1. To interpret the oscillations of the series y _n, different models of system II photochemical centers have been proposed, one by ourselves and the other one by KOK et al. In these models the electron donor Z of photosystem 11 is supposed to have 2 or 4 levels of oxidation, the more oxidized state being the precursor of oxygen. These different oxidation states of the donor Z allow storage of the photic energy in the system. The correlation between the series y _n and l _n shows that at least one of the oxidized forms of the donor Z is a substrate for the luminescence reaction.     

UN NOUVEAU MODELE DES CENTRES PHOTOCHIMIQUES DU SYSTEME II*

Abstract— The amount of oxygen evolved by Chlorella cells or by isolated chloroplasts has been measured after illumination by short saturating flashes. In all conditions, the amount of oxygen evolved by one flash is proportional to the fraction of the photochemical centers susceptible to produce oxygen. If dark adapted algae or chloroplasts are illuminated by a sene of flashes, no oxygen is produced by the first flash. This phenomenon is related to the activation process. If y_n is the amount of oxygen evolved by the nth flash of the sequence, it appears that the sene y_n shows large oscillations with a period 4. These oscillations are completely damped after 4–6 periods and the amount of oxygen evolved by a flash reaches a stationary value. For any value of n. the quantities y_n and y_n+2 are linked by a recurrent relation which is the same for Chlorella cells and spinach chloroplasts. No relation can be found between the terms y_n and y_(n+1). The mathematical properties of the series y_n can be understood if one admits that a two memory process is involved in the photochemical reaction. The results have been interpreted in terms of a new model of the System II photochemical centers. The main characteristics of this model are: (1) Each photochemical center includes two electron donors (Z) and one electron acceptor (Q). (2) The formation of one atom of oxygen requires a two quantum process corresponding to the transfer of two electrons from the same electron donor (first memory). (3) The photochemical center acts as a switch which connects alternately each donor to the acceptor (second memory). The switch process occurs after each photoact with an efficiency of about 85 per cent. Other arguments in favor of this model are obtained from studies of the rate of oxygen production at the onset of a weak illumination.     

KINETICS OF FLUORESCENCE FADING OF ACRIDINE ORANGE-HEPARIN COMPLEXES IN SOLUTION

Abstract— The irreversible photochemical fading of fluorescence of acridine orange-heparin complexes indicates that fading involves the reaction of a "reactive" excited bound dye dimer with one in the ground state. A kinetic parameter, r ", is derived, which has a constant value over a considerable range of conditions, and which is directly related to rate constants for photophysical and photochemical processes. This parameter appears to be characteristic for heparin and may serve to identify it in the presence of other glycosaminoglycans.     

FAST AND SLOW PHASES OF LUMINESCENCE IN CHLORELLA

Abstract— The decay of luminescence of Chlorella in repetitive steady-state flashing light displays two categories of phase, broadly characterized as ‘fast’ and ‘slow’. They are strongly contrasted in amplitude and lifetime; the transition from fast to slow occurs a few milliseconds after the flash.

• 1 The slow phases observed in the presence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) are clearly of the deactivation type. i.e. the luminescence intensity is quantitatively correlated with the rate of relaxation of the System II reaction center to its photoactive state. The significance of the deactivation type is a reverse flow of the light-produced ⊕ and ? charges through the luminescence-producing recombination path. This mechanism is probably not limited to the DCMU-poisoned systems. The light regime (flash duration, flashing period, induction effects) modifies specifically the amplitude of the slow phases; this effect is strikingly not dependent on the presence of DCMU. Although the light-driven pH gradient is the likely explanation, it is argued that its action bears more directly on the exciton and/or emission yield of luminescence rather than on the rate of recombination itself.
• 2 Most of the fast-phase components are ascribed under normal conditions to stabilization steps involving the donor side of the System II reaction centers. However, when the reaction center turnover is much reduced (DCMU) or completely abolished (DCMU + NH₂OH, after preillumination), a fast luminescence phase is still visible. This phase is barely affected by the light regime (notably the flash duration). It must be attributed to an anomalous residual photochemical turnover of the reaction centers. Another type of fast photochemical turnover has been characterized with NH₂OH-pretreated cells. A two-quantum functioning of some sort seems required to account for the anomalous photochemical turnover. The importance of the luminescence loss during the fast phases and its possible connection with the ‘misses’ of the O₂-evolving system are discussed.

     

SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY OF FLUORESCENCE BY PHOTOBLEACHED SURFACE-ADSORBED PROTEINS

Abstract-Fluorescence photobleaching of a carboxyfiuorescein-labeled protein (erythrocyte cytoskel-etal protein 4.1) immobilized on bare glass is found to be spontaneously reversible, provided that the sample is deoxygenated. After a short (hundredths of seconds) photobleaching laser flash, the subsequent fluorescence excited by a dim probe beam partly recovers on a long (tenths of second) time scale, even in the absence of chemical exchange or diffusion processes. Neither the fraction of the fluorescence that bleaches reversibly nor its recovery rate is a strong function of fluorophore surface concentration. At a fixed surface concentration, the reversibly photobleached fraction and its recovery rate decreases with increasing duration or intensity of the bleaching flash. On the other hand, nondeoxygenated air-equilibrated samples exhibit almost total irreversible bleaching on this time scale. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy experiments occasionally require deoxygenation to avoid photochemical crosslinking or photobleaching or to enhance the triplet state population. The observations presented here indicate that fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments performed under deoxygenated conditions for measuring diffusion or chemical kinetics should be interpreted with caution: fluorescence recoveries may be due to intrinsic photochemical processes rather than fluorophore mobility. The recovery effect appears too slow to be ascribed simply to a relaxation of a triplet state; other possible explanations are offered.     

ACRYLAMIDE QUENCHING OF TRYPTOPHAN PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOPHYSICS

Studies of acrylamide quenching of tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence, photochemistry, and photoionization have been conducted. Quenching of Trp fluorescence in aqueous solution by addition of acrylamide in the concentration range 0.0-0.5 M was measured and resulted in a Stern-Volmer quenching constant of KSV = 21 +/- 3 M-1. Photolysis experiments were performed in which Trp was photolyzed at 295 nm in the presence of varying concentrations of acrylamide. The loss of Trp was monitored using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and was observed to follow first order kinetics. Production of N-formylkynurenine (NFK) was observed by RP-HPLC in irradiated Trp samples both in the presence and absence of added acrylamide. In addition, no new photochemical product was detected. This was taken as evidence that acrylamide did not alter the photochemical pathway but just reduced the reaction rate as expected for a physical quenching mechanism. Plotting the reciprocal of photolysis rate constant versus acrylamide concentration produced a Stern-Volmer constant for quenching of Trp photochemistry of KSV = 6 +/- 2 M-1. The KSV values for both fluorescence quenching and photolysis quenching were thus large, implying efficient quenching of both processes by acrylamide. Assuming an excited singlet state lifetime of 2.8 ns, the calculated second-order quenching rate constants for fluorescence and photolysis were kq = 7.5 x 10(9) and 2.1 x 10(9) M-1 s-1 respectively. The possible involvement of photoionization in the photolysis mechanism was investigated by studies of acrylamide quenching of voltage transients produced by xenon flash lamp excitation of Trp at aqueous/teflon or aqueous/mica interfaces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

POLARIZATION OF FLUORESCENCE FROM BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLL IN CASTOR OIL, IN CHROMATOPHORES AND AS P870 IN PHOTOSYNTHETIC REACTION CENTERS

Abstract— The polarization of fluorescence from isolated photosynthetic reaction centers and from light harvesting chlorophyll in photosynthetic units was measured over a wide range of exciting wavelengths. In addition, the fluorescence polarization of bacteriochlorophyll was measured. The simplest interpretation of the data is that in the bacterial reaction center, the three chlorophyll molecules closely associated with photochemical oxidation do not have their transition moments parallel to one another. Highly polarized fluorescence was also observed from the intact photosynthetic unit.     

PHOTOSYSTEM II HETEROGENEITY IN THE MARINE DIATOM Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Abstract— The kinetics of photosystem II photochemistry are analyzed in the marine diatom Phaeodacfylum tricornutum by measurement of fluorescence induction in cell suspensions treated with 3–(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea. Photosystem II kinetics are found to be biphasic, the sum of two exponential components, suggesting that biphasic energy conversion in photosystem II may be a general consequence of thylakoid membrane appression. The emission wavelength-dependence of fluorescence induction suggests that the two photosystem II components have different variable fluorescence emission spectra. The slower component exhibits characteristic emission of the diatom light-harvesting complexes while emission from the faster component resembles that of the photosystem II reaction center. Variable fluorescence emission (293 K) at wavelengths > 700 nm is assigned to photosystem II. Application of model equations indicates that the two photosystem II unit types differ primarily in antenna size. A new analytical procedure is presented which eliminates ambiguities in the kinetic analysis associated with the incorrect assignment of the maximal fluorescence yield.     

A PHYTOCHROME PHOTOTRANSFORMATION STUDY USING TWO-LASER/TWO-COLOR FLASH PHOTOLYSIS: ANALYSIS OF THE DECAY MECHANISM OF I700*

The mechanism of I₇₀₀ decay, representing an early event in the phytochrome P_r→ P_fr phototransformation, was reanalyzed in the microsecond range by conventional laser flash photolysis as well as by two-laser/two-color flash photolysis. Three kinetic models that might describe the I₇₀₀ decay mechanism following P_r excitation were considered: a parallel, a sequential, and an equilibrium model. These models were used to mathematically simulate both the one- and two-laser flash experiments in an effort to select the model best describing the I₇₀₀ decay. The sequential model could be excluded already on the basis of the one-laser flash photolysis results alone. Discussion of the two-laser/two-color flash rcsults in the context of the equilibrium and the parallel models is presented.     

EFFECTS OF HIGH PRESSURE ON PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION CENTERS FROM RHODOPSEUDOMONAS SPHEROIDES*

Abstract— Photochemical reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides were subjected to pressures ranging from 1 to 6000 atm. Optical absorption, fluorescence and photochemical activities were studied under these conditions. Absorption spectra showed bathychromic shifts of the long-wave bands attributed to bacteriopheophytin and bacteriochlorophyll (the latter as P800 and P870). The quantum efficiency of photochemical oxidation of P870 was diminished at high pressure. The quantum yield of P870 fluorescence showed a parallel decline, as if high pressure introduced a quenching process that competed with both photochemistry and fluorescence. The original efficiencies were largely restored when the pressure was returned to 1 atm. The efficiency of oxidation of mammalian cytochrome c, coupled to the photochemical oxidation of P870 in reaction centers, was lowered by high pressure. This effect was more pronounced than the effect on P870 oxidation, and was irreversible. The kinetics of recovery of P870 following its photochemical oxidation showed effects of high pressure. The main effect was the appearance, at high pressure, of slow recovery suggesting the trapping of electrons. This effect was partly irreversible.     

RAPID AND SENSITIVE OPTICAL ROTATION MEASUREMENT: KINETICS OF CONFORMATIONAL CHANGE OF RHODOPSIN INTERMEDIATE

A rapid and sensitive optical rotation (OR) measurement system using laser light has been developed to meet the demands of flash-photolysis experiments. The optimal OR resolution of the apparatus is 0.3mdeg with 10 μs time constant with single shot. The OR resolution could be easily improved less than 0.1 mdeg with accumulation of data by a kinetic processor. Applications are briefly described for the study of transient conformational change of photochemical intermediates of octopus rhodopsin following a blue light flash.     

A PHOTOCHEMICAL TECHNIQUE TO ENHANCE SENSITIVITY OF DETECTION OF FLUORESCENCE RESONANCE ENERGY TRANSFER

Abstract: A photochemical kinetic method of measuring small values of efficiency of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between special probes is proposed. The FRET efficiency (ω) is determined from kinetics of the photochemical reaction of the energy acceptor sensitized by FRET from the energy donor. The choice of an appropriate donor-acceptor pair permits the minimization of background reactions. Application of the method is demonstrated by the detection of FRET from 2,5- bis (5- tert -butyl-2-benzoxasolyl)thiophen (BBOT) to acridine orange (AO) in phospholipid vesicles. Photobleaching of AO in the presence of CBr₄ was applied as a photochemical reaction of the acceptor. The reaction was monitored by steady-state fluorescence measurements. The FRET measurements were carried out by the proposed technique when the probe/lipid ratio and ω were as small as 1.1 × 10⁻⁵ M/M and 0.0017, respectively. Under these conditions, the rate constant of AO photobleaching was increased by 26% as compared with that of the reference sample without BBOT. The results suggest that applications of the technique may be useful in the study of the membrane topography.     

PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF THE REACTION CENTERS OF SYSTEM II UNDER REPETITIVE FLASH GROUP EXCITATION IN ISOLATED CHLOROPLASTS

Abstract— Absorption changes induced in isolated chloroplasts by excitation with repetitive flash groups have been measured at 690 nm, indicating the photochemical turnover of chlorophyll-a_II (Chl-αn), and at 480 nm and 513 nm respectively, reflecting via electrochromic effect the formation of a transmembrane electric field. The data are compared with measurements of oxygen evolution. In chloroplasts with practically fully intact oxygen evolving capacity it was found: 1. The initial amplitude of the 690 nm absorption change induced by the second flash as a function of the time t_v between the first and second flash of a group increases with a half life of about 35 µs. On the other hand, the average oxygen yield due to the second flash as a function of the time t_v rises with a half life of about 600 µs (and a kinetics in the ms-range of minor extent), confirming the data of Vater et al. (1968). 2. Under far red background illumination, where contributions due to PS I in the µs-range can be excluded, the difference spectrum in the red of the absorption changes induced by the first flash corresponds with that of the absorption changes induced by the second flash fired 200 µ after the first flash. 3. The pattern of the absorption changes at 690 nm induced by repetitive double flash groups at t_v= 200 µs does not markedly change in normal chloroplasts by the presence of DBMIB?. Similar 690 nm absorption changes occur in trypsin treated chloroplasts, independent of the presence of DCMU. 4. The fast regeneration in the µs-range of Chl-a_n is also observed in the third flash of a triple flash group at a time t_v= 200 µs between the flashes of the group. 5. The initial amplitudes of the absorption changes with a decay kinetics slower than 100 µs induced by the second flash at 480 nm and 513 nm, respectively, as a function of the time t, between the first and second flash of a group, are characterized by a recovery half-time of about 600 µs, confirming earlier measurements at 520 nm (Witt and Zickler, 1974). On the basis of these results it is inferred that there does exist a photoreaction of Chl-α_n., with an electron acceptor, referred to as X_a, other than the ‘primary’ plastoquinone acceptor X320, if X320 persists in its reduced state. Under conditions of X320 being in the reduced state, this photochemical reaction was shown to be highly dissipative with respect to charging up the watersplitting enzyme system Y. Furthermore, this Chl-a_n-photoreaction with X_a does not lead to a vectorial transmembrane charge separation, which is stable for more than a few microseconds. Different models for the functional and structural organization of PS II are discussed.