PHOTOSENSITIZING EFFECTS OF 8-METHOXYPSORALEN ON THE SKIN OF HAIRLESS MICE—11. TRAIN AND SPECTRAL DIFFERENCES FOR TUMORIGENESIS

Abstract. –The absorption and fluorescence characteristics of subchloroplast particles highly enriched in P700 (1 P700 to 10–15 chlorophyll a molecules) and of two artificial systems are presented here. The fluorescence characteristics measured were excitation and emission spectra, and the degree of polarization of fluorescence. The model systems studied were chlorophyll a and pheophytin a in a polystyrene matrix, and a colloidal mixture of these two pigments with bovine serum albumin. Effects of 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate on the optical properties of the P700-enriched particles are also described. The importance of pigment-pigment and pigment-protein interactions in determining the fluorescence properties of these particles are discussed. The possible role of pheophytin in these preparations needs further investigation.