LIGHT-INDUCED ABSORBANCY CHANGES IN EIMHJELLEN''S RHODOPSEUDOMONAS*

Abstract— Light induced absorbancy changes in Rhodopseudomonas sp. NHTC 133 are analogous to those observed in other photosynthetic bacteria, but all of the features in the light-induced difference spectrum (except those reflecting cytochrome oxidation) are shifted to greater wavelengths. This general shift is consistent with the fact that the bacteriochlorophyll of this organism (BChl b ) differs from the usual BChl in that its absorption bands are shifted to greater wavelengths.
The singlet excited state of P985 (the counterpart of the P870 of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides ) is not an energy sink relative to the major component of BChl b in vivo . The absorption maximum of P985 is at 985 mp, whereas that of CBhl b in vivo is at 1012 mμ.