LASER SPECTROSCOPY OF MODEL PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEMS

Abstract— The goal of the present work was to create and investigate a model system, using a dye imbedded into polymer structure, and to examine characteristics which would provide low heat dissipation and excitation diffusion characteristics approaching those seen in the "antenna" of the photosynthetic apparatus. Zinc tetraphenoxyphtalocyanine served as a dye, and different types of polyvinyl pyridine polymers and polystyrene were used as polymer matricies. Measurements of the absorption, fluorescence and Raman spectra of the polymeric films with dye molecules show that along with Van der Waals interactions of the dye molecules with the side aromatic groups of the polymer there is a coordination interaction between the metal atoms of Zinc phtalocyanine and the nitrogen atoms of the pyridine group of the polymer. A model system shows low heat losses of excitation energy, when the dye concentration does not exceed 10^-2 M (mean distances between molecules of about 34 Å). Electronic excitation diffusion characteristics appeared to be close to those of the light harvesting antenna of the photosynthetic apparatus, indicating high efficiency of the energy migration in it.     

OPTICALLY DETECTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE OF THE TRYPTOPHAN PHOSPHORESCENT STATE IN NATIVE PROTEINS*

Abstract— The phosphorescent triplet state of tryptophan has been studied by the method of optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) at pumped helium temperatures in zero magnetic field. Only one of the triplet sublevels is found to be significantly radiative; the other two decay radiationlessly. Although the phosphorescence and ODMR decay lifetimes are influenced by spin–lattice relaxation processes at T = 1.3°K, the lifetime of the radiative level can be estimated as approximately 2 s, whereas the lifetimes of the non–radiative levels are in excess of 10 s. Comparison of the ODMR signals and the phosphorescence spectra has been made for tryptophans in native proteins with the following results: the ODMR signals of the two types of tryptophan sites in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase can be resolved due to a shift in the D and E values of the respective triplet states; binding of the substrate tri- N -acetylglucosamine to hen lysozyme leads to a considerable narrowing of the phosphorescence peaks and ODMR signals as well as to a shift in the E value of the triplet state.
The following tentative conclusions can be reached: the tryptophan triplet D and E values are measurably affected by the environment of the chromophore in the protein, as are the linewidths of the magnetic resonance transitions. The | E | value is reduced and the magnetic resonance linewidth is increased with increasing exposure of the tryptophan to hydroxylic solvent. Although a considerable part of the width of the magnetic resonance transition can be ascribed to a heterogeneity of environments in the sample, there appears to exist an intrinsic line–broadening process which at present is not understood.     

TIME-RESOLVED RESONANCE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY OF THE BACTERIORHODOPSIN PHOTOCYCLE ON THE PICOSECOND AND NANOSECOND TIME SCALES

Abstract— Resonance Raman spectra of the picosecond bacteriorhodopsin intermediate(s) have been obtained by microbeam, flow and subtraction techniques using a synchronously pumped, cavity-dumped dye laser. Nanosecond spectra also were measured with this laser by cavity dumping without mode-locking. The picosecond spectra in the fingerprint region, which is sensitive to the configuration of the retinal chromophore, differ from spectra of the parent bR₅₇₀ but could be correlated to the spectrum of bR^DA₅₅₀ , a “13-cis” species which has been determined from spectra of bR₅₇₀ and bR^DA₅₆₀. The picosecond transient and bR^DA₅₅₀ also are similar in the 950–1050 cm^-1“deuteration fingerprint” region when the medium is changed from H₂O to D₂O. These results suggest that trans—cis isomerization occurs during the 40-ps pulse duration. The shift relative to the parent bR₅₇₀ in the ethylenic stretch region suggests that the picosecond and nanosecond transients absorb at wavelengths longer than 570 nm. The C band at 1646 cm^-1 is found to shift or to broaden upon photolysis in the picosecond time scale. This might suggest a change in the electronic structure of the group and its environment on the picosecond time domain. The nanosecond spectra obtained in this work (with 15-ns pulses) are similar to the spectra previously observed on the 100-ns time scale but are slightly different from the picosecond spectrum. These data suggest that more than one transient species appears on the picosecond-to-nanosecond time scale. The temporal evolution of Raman bands in the fingerprint as well as the low energy (950–1050 cm^-1) region and its implications are discussed.     

TRIPLET STATE PROPERTIES OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON-DNA and PORPHYRIN-DNA COMPLEXES DETERMINED BY OPTICALLY DETECTED ZERO FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE

The photoexcited triplet states of the physically bound (intercalated) complexes of benzanthracene, pyrene, and free base porphin with DNA have been examined at 77 and 2 K. Measurements of triplet lifetimes, zero field splittings, and individual triplet sublevel intcrsystem crossing rates were obtained by optically detected zero field magnetic resonance (ODMR) for the benzan-thracene-DNA and free base porphin-DNA complexes. The triplet lifetime was measured for the pyrene-DNA complex. No ODMR was observable in the pyrene-DNA system. Comparison of triplet state data with new and previous results for the benzo(a)pyrene-DN A complex is discussed in an attempt to characterize the interactions experienced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and porphyrins within the DNA environment.     

PICOSECOND FLUORESCENCE AND ELECTRON TRANSFER IN PRIMARY PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROCESSES

Abstract. Under conditions that drive the reaction centers (RC's) into the "closed" state, the lifetime ( T ) of the fluorescence emitted by antenna molecules increases from 80 to 200 ps in PS I, from 300 to 600 ps in PS II, and from 200 to 500 ps in bacterial chromatophores. In Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides strain 1760-1, the decay curve for fluorescence from the RC's has a component with T ₂= 15 ps due to the bacteriochlorophyll of the RC, and a second component with T ₂= 250 ps due to bacteriopheophytin.
Data on electron transfer at low temperatures and under different redox conditions are analyzed. along with the ps fluorescence kinetics. The hypothesis is discussed that electron transfer in RC's is coupled to conformation changes in the interacting molecules.     

SURFACE-ENHANCED RESONANCE RAMAN SCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY AS A SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY PROBE IN PLANT PHOTOSYNTHETIC MEMBRANES

Strong resonance Raman (RR) and surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) signals from carotenoids were detected from thylakoid (stromal-side out) vesicles and inside-out (lumenal-side out) vesicles isolated from spinach chloroplasts. The intensity of the signals from both types of membranes was comparable, indicating that plant carotenoids are exposed on or close to both surfaces or sides of the thylakoid membrane. This is in contrast to previous studies with bacterial photosynthetic membranes (Picorel et al., 1988, J. Biol. Chem. 263 , 4374–4380; and 1990, Biochemistry 29 , 707–712) that show carotenoids selectively located on the cytoplasmic side. In addition_; strong RR and SERRS signals were detected from stacked and unstacked photosystem-II-enriched membrane fragments, demonstrating that carotenoids are also exposed on both surfaces of the appressed region of the thylakoid membrane. Antibodies against the photosystem (PS) II extrinsic proteins blocked SERRS signals from stacked PS II membrane fragments, but only partially affected the SERRS signals from unstacked membranes. The results indicate that these antibodies, which preferentially cover the surface of the original lumenalside of the appressed region, act as spacers between the membrane and SERRS electrode surfaces. The original stromal-side of the appressed region is unaffected. These findings verify the distance sensitivity of the SERRS technique and underscore the above conclusion about the location of carotenoids in the appressed regions. Finally, SERRS signals are sensitive to membrane aging and storage temperature; caution is suggested to those applying SERRS spectroscopy to intact membrane systems.     

PICOSECOND ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY OF CHLOROPHYLL A DIHYDRATE

Abstract— The solution of chlorophyll a in hexane with more than 70% of chlorophyll molecules in the form of the dihydrate (CHl-a.2H₂O)_n is investigated at room temperature by picosecond absorption technique. The transient difference spectra and the kinetic dependences of the absorption changes are measured for several excitation and probe wavelengths. Creation of a new state with blue-shifted absorption band is observed in the system after excitation. A model of the behaviour of the system after excitation is proposed and checked by comparison of the computer-simulated spectral and time dependences with the experimental data. According to the model, about 30% of excited molecules are in the state with the 0.046 eV shift of the absorption band in comparison with the ground state absorption. The lifetime of this state has 170-ps component. The rest of the excited molecules are in the first excited state with the decay time component of 37 ps.     

RESONANCE RAMAN AND SURFACE-ENHANCED RESONANCE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY OF HYPERICIN

Hypericin has been found to exhibit a variety of photodynamic effects. To correlate biological activity with molecular structure, complete physical characterization of hypericin is required. The vibrational spectrum has been determined and resonance Raman and surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectra are reported. In addition, the Raman spectrum of a model compound has been studied to facilitate assignment of the vibrational modes of hypericin.     

CHLOROPHYLL a AGGREGATES IN HYDROCARBON SOLUTION, A PICOSECOND SPECTROSCOPY AND MOLECULAR MODELING STUDY

Abstract Chlorophyll a aggregates in 3-methylpentane solution have been studied by using picosecond absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Chlorophyll a aggregates give rise to reversible temperature changes in the absorption and fluorescence spectra. Time-dependent anisotropies were used to estimate rotational correlation times of the aggregates. These were indicative of the sizes of the aggregates. The rotational diffusion of the monomer and the two identified aggregates was hydrodynamic over the viscosity range studied (0.29–1.8 cP). Molecular mechanics calculations were used to predict the minimum energy structures of several chlorophyll a dimers suggested earlier in the literature. These structures were used to estimate exciton splitting of the Q_y,0–0 transition and compared to the experimentally observed spectral shifts.     

PICOSECOND FLUORESCENCE STUDIES OF EXCITON MIGRATION AND ANNIHILATION IN PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEMS. A REVIEW*

Abstract. In this paper we review picosecond fluorescence studies of exciton dynamics in photosynthesis. We discuss some of the exciton interactions that led to artifacts in early picosecond data and outline procedures for avoiding their presence. In the case of high intensity single pulse excitation (> 10¹³ photons cm²), the dominant mechanism is singlet-singlet fusion, manifesting itself by a decrease in the observed lifetime and quantum efficiency of fluorescence. The manner in which excitons interact in vivo provides an indicator of the topology of the photosynthetic unit (PSU). The shape of the fluorescence quenching curve, as a function of intensity, in particular, can be used to test various models. In addition to fluorescence quenching curves, we also report the results of fluorescence decay following ps laser flashes, using an ultrafast streak camera in four types of systems: (1) organic crystal anologues, (2) chromatophores of various mutants of the photosynthetic bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides, (3) intact cells of the green alga, Chlorella and (4) chloroplasts of higher plants (e.g. spinach).     

TRIPLET STATES OF CAROTENOIDS BOUND TO REACTION CENTERS OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA: TIME-RESOLVED RESONANCE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

Time-resolved, low-temperature resonance Raman spectra of triplet states of the carotenoids specifically present in bacterial reaction centers in a strained cis conformation have been obtained, thus demonstrating the possibility of studying intermediate transient states of these structures using resonance Raman spectroscopy. Resonance Raman spectra of triplet cis spheroidene and cis methoxyneurosporene present in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, (strains 2.4.1. and Ga, respectively) exhibit marked differences with those of triplet, all- trans carotenoids previously studied in vitro. These differences, together with the frequency shifts measured for the v ₁ modes, indicate that triplet carotenoids bound to reaction centers retain a cis conformation, and that probably no isomerization occurs to all- trans carotenoids upon T ← S₀ excitation. P_i electron distributions along the polyene backbone are probably less regular in the triplet state than in the singlet ground state, although probably not to the extent suggested by previous theoretical calculations. The apparently anomalous behaviour of the v ₂ bands of all- trans carotenoids upon T ← S₀ excitation is shown to result largely from the actual complexity of this region of the Raman spectra, together with a weak participation of the v _c—–c internal coordinate in the corresponding modes. Finally, the Raman scattering efficiency of triplet spheroidene bound to reaction centers is lower than that of the singlet, ground state form, under equivalent excitation conditions.     

PICOSECOND LASER PHOTOLYSIS OF SQUID RHODOPSIN AT ROOM AND LOW TEMPERATURES

Abstract. Squid rhodopsin extracted with 2% digitonin (pH 10.5 or 7.0) was excited with a 347 nm light pulse from a mode-locked ruby laser at room temperature. Within 19 ps after the excitation, absorbance at 430 nm due to hypsorhodopsin increased and subsequently decreased with a decay time of 45 ± 10 ps. Absorbance at 550 nm due to bathorhodopsin increased with a rise time of 50 ± 10 ps. These results are the first observations of hypsorhodopsin at room temperature and clearly show that hypsorhodopsin is a precursor of bathorhodopsin which has been considered to be the earliest photoproduct in the photobleaching process of rhodopsin.
Hypsorhodopsin appeared with a rise time of 70 ± 10 ps at 421 nm at liquid nitrogen temperature without any bathorhodopsin being observed during the formation of hypsorhodopsin. An experiment using an N₂ laser showed that squid bathorhodopsin converted to lumirhodopsin with a decay time of about 300 ns at room temperature.     

稀土-HEDTA-丝氨酸三元体系的pH电位法和荧光光谱研究

氨基多羧酸是镧、锕系元素促排剂,氨基酸是重要的生物配体。稀土-氨基多羧酸-氨基酸三元体系的研究对探索稀土在人体内代谢及其生物效应具有重要意义,其次,多元配位体系荧光研究亦是令人感兴趣的课题。有关稀土-氨基多羧酸-氨基酸三元体系研究不多,稀土-N-羟乙基乙二胺三乙酸(HEDTA)-丝氨酸(Ser)三元体系研究尚未见报导。本文用pH电位法和荧光光谱研究了稀土(除钷外镧系元素及钇)-HEDTA-Ser三元体系的配位作用,考察了铽配合物配体敏化荧光光谱特点。     

LASER FLASH-INDUCED PHOTOREDUCTION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC FERREDOXINS AND FLAVODOXIN BY 5-DEAZARIBOFLAVIN AND BY A

Abstract Laser flash photolysis has been used to compare the kinetics of reduction of ferredoxin isoforms from the green alga Monoraphidium braunii, and the ferredoxin and flavodoxin from the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7119, by 5-deazariboflavin semiquinone (dRM) and the viologen analogue 1,l‘-propylene-2,2′-bipyridyI (PDQ ⁺). Similar ionic strength-independent second-order rate constants (1.4 × 10⁸M^?1 s ^?1) were obtained for the reduction of both algal ferredoxin isoforms by dRM For the reduction of oxidized flavodoxin by dRM, a more complex behavior was observed, with a second-order rate constant for dRM. decay of 1.8 × 10⁸M^?1 S^?1, and a first-order (i.e. protein concentration independent) rate constant of 450 s^?1, that probably corresponds to the protonation of the FMN semiquinone cofactor, which occurs subsequent to electron transfer. A value of 5 × 10⁷M^?1 S^?1 was obtained for the second-order rate constant of flavodoxin semiquinone reduction by dRM The reduction of ferredoxins and flavodoxin semiquinone by PDQ ⁺ showed nonlinear protein concentration dependencies, consistent with a minimal two-step mechanism involving complex formation followed by intracomplex electron transfer. A negative ionic strength effect on the kinetic constants was obtained, indicating the existence of attractive electrostatic interactions during electron transfer. With all the ferredoxins the k_∞ values (rate constants extrapolated to infinite ionic strength) for the second-order step of the reduction process (complex formation) are smaller than previously reported for spinach ferredoxin, although Anabaena ferredoxin is somewhat more reactive than are the algal ferredoxins with the viologen. In contrast, the k_∞ values for the first-order component of ferredoxin reduction (intracomplex electron transfer) for the algal ferredoxins are comparable to that for spinach ferredoxin, whereas for this reaction the ferredoxin from Anabaena has a smaller intrinsic reactivity. As compared with the ferredoxins, Anabaena flavodoxin has significantly smaller k_∞ values for its interaction with the viologen analogue, both for complex formation and for electron transfer. In all cases the existence of nonproductive electrostatic interactions between the viologen analogue and the proteins is suggested by the data.     

A SINGLE PULSE PICOSECOND LASER STUDY OF EXCITON DYNAMICS IN CHLOROPLASTS

Abstract. Using single picosecond laser pulses at 610 nm, the fluorescence yield (φ) of spinach chloroplasts as a function of intensity ( I ) (10¹²-10¹⁶ photons/pulse/cm²) was studied in the range of 21–300 K. The quantum yield decreases with increasing intensity and the φ vs I curves are identical at the emission maxima of 685 and 735 nm. This result is interpreted in terms of singlet exciton-exciton annihilation on the level of the light-harvesting pigments which occurs before energy is transferred to the Photosystem I pigments which emit at 735 nm.
The yield φ is decreased by factors of 12 and 43 at 300 and 21 K, respectively. The shapes of the φ vs I curves are not well accounted for in terms of a model which is based on a Poisson distribution of photon hits in separate photosynthetic units, but can be satisfactorily described using a one-parameter fit and an exciton-exciton annihilation model. The bimolecular annihilation rate constant is found to be γ= (5–15) times 10^-9cm³s^-1 and to exhibit only a minor temperature dependence. Lower bound values of the singlet exciton diffusion coefficient (≥ 10^-3cm²s^-1), diffusion length (≥ 2 times 10^-6cm) and Förster energy transfer rates (≥ 3 ≥ 10¹⁰s^-1) are estimated from γ using the appropriate theoretical relationships.     

低场脉冲核磁共振测定二醋酸纤维素丝束中油剂

研究了采用低场脉冲核磁共振(NMR)测定二醋酸纤维素丝束油剂的新方法，给出NMR法测定二醋酸纤维素丝束油荆含量的标准曲线。同时对NMR法测量二醋酸纤维素丝束油荆不确定度进行了评估。结果表明，NMR法具有分析速度快、无污染、无损伤和准确度高的优点，适合于二醋酸纤维素丝束油荆的分析。     

PICOSECOND FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY ON INCORPORATION PROCESSES OF HEMATOPORPHYRIN DERIVATIVE INTO MALIGNANT TUMOR CELLS in vitro

Abstract— By using a highly sensitive streak-camera technique, we investigate incorporation processes of HpD into malignant tumor m-KSA cells in vitro. The picosecond decays of the total fluorescence spectra, the wavelength-resolved fluorescence decays and the time-resolved fluorescence spectra from HpD in the cells are measured as a function of the incubation time. The results show that the aggregate component of HpD which has a fast fluorescence lifetime of 100 ps and a red-shifted band of ∼ 660 nm selectively accumulates more and more in the cells with the increase of the incubation time.     

MECHANISM OF HIGH POWER PICOSECOND LASER UV INACTIVATION OF VIRUSES AND BACTERIAL PLASMIDS

Abstract— The mechanism of inactivating action of high-power picosecond laser UV radiation (λ= 266 nm) on the λ and φX174 bacteriophages and the pBR 322 plasmid has been studied. It has been shown that at UV radiation intensities from 10¹¹ to 10¹³ W/m², inactivation of viruses and bacterial plasmids occurs mainly on account of single-strand breaks in the DNA chain unlike the case of less powerful UV radiation where the inactivation is associated with the formation of pyrimidine dimers.