Subunit separation (alpha,alpha',beta) of cryptomonad biliproteins

Abstract— Phycocyanin 645, phycocyanin 612 and phycoerythrin 545 are biliproteins isolated from the cryptomonad algae, Chroornonas species, Hemiselmis virescens and Rhodomonas lens, respectively. The protein has α and β subunits. which are separated on an ion exchange column by using a urea gradient and omitting 2-mercaptoethanol from the solvent. This separation establishes that the α and β subunits are not joined by disulfide bonds. In addition it has recently been shown that mercaptoethanol can produce spurious results in the calculation of the chromophore contents of these biliproteins (Guard-Friar and MacColl, 1984). The mercaptoethanol-free experiments allow analysis of the chromophore content in a rapid and artifact-free manner. When the ion exchange chromatography of phycocyanin 645 is manipulated by changing the type of urea gradient, two distinct a subunit fractions are obtained. These two fractions have identical visible absorption spectra but different amino acid compositions. At least two different gene products are, thus. responsible for the a subunits. The sole chromophore on the two a subunits of phycocyanin 645 is the unique 697-nm bilin as seen in acidic urea. Its reactivity with mercaptoethanol is determined. The α subunits of phycoerythrin 545 have two different bilins: cryptoviolin and phycoerythrobilin. Phycocyanobilin is the chromophore on the α subunit of phycocyanin 612.     

PHYCOERYTHROCYANIN: ITS SPECTROSCOPIC BEHAVIOR AND PROPERTIES

Abstract— Phycoerythrocyanin is a biliprotein found in very few blue-green algae. Its properties have been examined under three conditions: in whole cells, in light-harvesting organelles (the phycobilisomes). and as an isolated protein. Absorption and fluorescence bands characteristic of the isolated protein are essentially the same as those in intact cells of the blue-green alga Anabaena variabilis. The same spectroscopic hallmarks are observed in purified phycobilisomes. Dissociation of these physobilisomes at low-phosphate concentrations resulted in increased phycoerythrocyanin fluorescence. This time-dependent increase in fluorescence demonstrates the function of this biliprotein in excitation-energy transfer to the other biliproteins when the organelles are intact. The relative stabilities of the various heteroprotein bonds within the phycobilisomes are shown to possess differing phosphate ion dependencies. Studies on the isolated protein from Mastigocladus laminosus include fluorescence measurements at both 23 and-196°C, as is generally observed with biliproteins, although phycoerythrocyanin has complex visible absorption and excitation spectra, only a single emission band is observed.     

ENERGY TRANSFER STUDIES ON CRYPTOMONAD BILIPROTEINS

Abstract. Fluorescence techniques of various types have been used to study the light-gathering and energy transfer modes for various cryptomonad biliproteins (phycocyanin or phycoerythrins). Analysis of fluorescence polarization and absorption data demonstrates that each cryptomonad biliprotein is composed of at least two distinct types of absorbing chromophore, each attached to the protein through covalent linkages to different polypeptide chains. Examination of the fluorescence emission spectra as a function of excitation at several wavelengths demonstrates that only one of these absorbing chromo-phores is responsible for the fluorescence. This behavior is consistent with a known phenomenon whereby photons are gathered by more than one chromophore and then after radiationless energy transfer are emitted by only one chromophore. Application of Förster dipole-dipole energy transfer theory is made to the study of the mode by which energy absorbed by biliproteins migrates to Chl a. The spectral overlap integral between phycocyanin (Chroomonas sp.) and Chl a is 7.13 ± 10^-10cm⁶mol^-1and between phycocyanin and Chl c₂ 0.25 ± 10^-10cm⁶mol^-1. This large difference in overlap suggests, although does not prove, that phycocyanin might transfer energy directly to Chl a without a Chl c₂ intermediary. The cryptomonad phycoerythrins may also use this method but a Chl c₂ intermediate could not be ruled out for them. Radiationless energy transfer among homogeneous biliproteins is shown to be feasible. All these calculations are based on in vitro spectra and the interpretations extrapolated to the cellular situation, and these tentative conclusions are reached without knowledge of other factors, such as chromophore-chro-mophore orientation and distance, which could greatly influence the energy transfer scheme.     

Fluorescence studies on R-phycoerythrin and C-phycoerythrin

Biliproteins are photosynthetic light-harvesting proteins, which transfer excitons with high efficiencies over relatively long distances until they arrive at a photosynthetic reaction center. Purified R-phycoerythrin (isolated from a red alga) and C-phycoerythrin (isolated from a cyanobacterium), each of which contains several chromophores, were studied by a combination of fluorescence emission, fluorescence excitation polarization, and absorption methods. The polarization spectra of both these biliproteins showed that there was a minimum of two spectrally distinct sensitizing chromophores, which, after absorbing photons, transfer excitons to the lowest-energy (fluorescing) chromophores. Some of these spectroscopic data were used to deconvolute the absorption spectra into the spectra of the two sensitizing and one fluorescing chromophores. It was shown that the higher-energy sensitizing chromophore could readily transfer its excitation energy to the fluorescing chromophore using the lower-energy sensitizing chromophore as an intermediary. However, there was sufficient spectral overlap between the higher-energy sensitizing chromophore and the fluorescing chromophore so that direct transfer between them could not be ruled out.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXCITON MIGRATION ROUTES FOR PHYCOCYANIN 645 AND ALLOPHYCOCYANIN

Abstract— The origin of the comparatively complex absorption spectrum of the cryptomonad biliprotein, phycocyanin 645 from Chroomonas species, has been investigated by deconvolution of its absorption and CD spectra together with fluorescence polarization studies. The visible absorption and CD spectra were each deconvoluted into four components, three pure Gaussian and one Gaussian-Lorentzian chimera. The difference spectrum between the visible absorption spectra of partially renatured and partially dissociated protein and the fluorescence polarization spectrum are compared to these deconvolutions. All results are consistent with a previous proposal that band splitting from a pair of strongly-coupled dipoles contributes to the absorption and CD spectra of this biliprotein. A model for the flow of exciton migration through this protein is presented that incorporates these data [together with appropriate literature reports]. This exciton migration model together with one for the biliprotein, allophycocyanin, includes both strong and very weak coupling of dipoles. This combination of mechanisms has salient influence on the visible absorption spectra and the routes of exciton migration characteristic of these two proteins.