OCCURRENCE OF PHOTOREVERSIBLE ABSORPTION CHANGES IN DISSOCIATED ALLOPHYCOCYANIN AND PHYCOCYANIN

Abstract— Photochromic response of allophycocyanin (APC) and phycocyanin (PC) was studied. Phycobiliproteins were isolated from the blue-green alga Tolypothrix tennis and supplementary from Anabaena cylindrica. The response was found in both APC and PC when they were dissociated into monomer in the presence of propylene glycol at high concentration. APC in propylene glycol solution showed two photoresponses identical with those of "phycochromes" c and d , respectively. PC showed the photoresponse "phycochrome" a type. After re-association by removal of propylene glycol, photoresponse activities disappeared.
We concluded that (i) some of monomer APC's and PC's became photoreactive when APC and PC were dissociated into monomer thus that (ii) photoresponses of "phycochromes" a, c and d were not attributed to the special pigments independent of APC and PC, but were responsible to special molecules of monomer APC and PC. Spectral patterns of photoresponses were discussed in relation to dissociation-association of protein.