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Photosynthetic reaction centre

About: Photosynthetic reaction centre is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5146 publications have been published within this topic receiving 228287 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
12 Apr 2007-Nature
TL;DR: Previous two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy investigations of the FMO bacteriochlorophyll complex are extended, and direct evidence is obtained for remarkably long-lived electronic quantum coherence playing an important part in energy transfer processes within this system is obtained.
Abstract: Photosynthesis provides the primary energy source for almost all life on Earth. One of its remarkable features is the efficiency with which energy is transferred within the light harvesting complexes comprising the photosynthetic apparatus. Suspicions that quantum trickery might be involved in the energy transfer processes at the core of photosynthesis are now confirmed by a new spectroscopic study. The study reveals electronic quantum beats characteristic of wavelike energy motion within the bacteriochlorophyll complex from the green sulphur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum. This wavelike characteristic of the energy transfer process can explain the extreme efficiency of photosynthesis, in that vast areas of phase space can be sampled effectively to find the most efficient path for energy transfer. A spectroscopic study has directly monitored the quantum beating arising from remarkably long-lived electronic quantum coherence in a bacteriochlorophyll complex. This wavelike characteristic of the energy transfer process can explain the extreme efficiency of photosynthesis, in that vast areas of phase space can be sampled effectively to find the most efficient path for energy transfer. Photosynthetic complexes are exquisitely tuned to capture solar light efficiently, and then transmit the excitation energy to reaction centres, where long term energy storage is initiated. The energy transfer mechanism is often described by semiclassical models that invoke ‘hopping’ of excited-state populations along discrete energy levels1,2. Two-dimensional Fourier transform electronic spectroscopy3,4,5 has mapped6 these energy levels and their coupling in the Fenna–Matthews–Olson (FMO) bacteriochlorophyll complex, which is found in green sulphur bacteria and acts as an energy ‘wire’ connecting a large peripheral light-harvesting antenna, the chlorosome, to the reaction centre7,8,9. The spectroscopic data clearly document the dependence of the dominant energy transport pathways on the spatial properties of the excited-state wavefunctions of the whole bacteriochlorophyll complex6,10. But the intricate dynamics of quantum coherence, which has no classical analogue, was largely neglected in the analyses—even though electronic energy transfer involving oscillatory populations of donors and acceptors was first discussed more than 70 years ago11, and electronic quantum beats arising from quantum coherence in photosynthetic complexes have been predicted12,13 and indirectly observed14. Here we extend previous two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy investigations of the FMO bacteriochlorophyll complex, and obtain direct evidence for remarkably long-lived electronic quantum coherence playing an important part in energy transfer processes within this system. The quantum coherence manifests itself in characteristic, directly observable quantum beating signals among the excitons within the Chlorobium tepidum FMO complex at 77 K. This wavelike characteristic of the energy transfer within the photosynthetic complex can explain its extreme efficiency, in that it allows the complexes to sample vast areas of phase space to find the most efficient path.

2,981 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Johann Deisenhofer1, Otto Epp1, K. Miki1, Robert Huber1, Hartmut Michel1 
01 Dec 1985-Nature
TL;DR: The molecular structure of the photosynthetic reaction centre from Rhodopseudomonas viridis has been elucidated using X-ray crystallographic analysis and the first description of the high-resolution structure of an integral membrane protein is presented.
Abstract: The molecular structure of the photosynthetic reaction centre from Rhodopseudomonas viridis has been elucidated using X-ray crystallographic analysis. The central part of the complex consists of two subunits, L and M, each of which forms five membrane-spanning helices. We present the first description of the high-resolution structure of an integral membrane protein.

2,910 citations

Book
01 Jan 2002
TL;DR: This chapter discusses the organization and structure of Photosynthetic Systems, as well as the history and development of Photosynthesis, and the origins and evolution of photosynthesis.
Abstract: 1. Light and Energy. 2. Organization and Structure of Photosynthetic Systems. 3. History and Development of Photosynthesis. 4. Photosynthetic Pigments-Structure and Spectroscopy. 5. Antenna Complexes and Energy Transfer Processes. 6. Reaction Center Complexes. 7. Electron Transfer Pathways and Components. 8. Chemiosmotic Coupling and ATP Synthesis. 9. Carbon Metabolism. 10. Genetics, Assembly and Regulation of Photosynthetic. Systems. 11. Origin and Evolution of Photosynthesis. Appendix 1. Light, Energy and Kinetics

2,070 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Dec 2005-Nature
TL;DR: The most complete cyanobacterial photosystem II structure obtained so far is described, showing locations of and interactions between 20 protein subunits and 77 cofactors per monomer, and provides information about the Mn4Ca cluster, where oxidation of water takes place.
Abstract: Oxygenic photosynthesis in plants, algae and cyanobacteria is initiated at photosystem II, a homodimeric multisubunit protein-cofactor complex embedded in the thylakoid membrane. Photosystem II captures sunlight and powers the unique photo-induced oxidation of water to atmospheric oxygen. Crystallographic investigations of cyanobacterial photosystem II have provided several medium-resolution structures (3.8 to 3.2 A) that explain the general arrangement of the protein matrix and cofactors, but do not give a full picture of the complex. Here we describe the most complete cyanobacterial photosystem II structure obtained so far, showing locations of and interactions between 20 protein subunits and 77 cofactors per monomer. Assignment of 11 beta-carotenes yields insights into electron and energy transfer and photo-protection mechanisms in the reaction centre and antenna subunits. The high number of 14 integrally bound lipids reflects the structural and functional importance of these molecules for flexibility within and assembly of photosystem II. A lipophilic pathway is proposed for the diffusion of secondary plastoquinone that transfers redox equivalents from photosystem II to the photosynthetic chain. The structure provides information about the Mn4Ca cluster, where oxidation of water takes place. Our study uncovers near-atomic details necessary to understand the processes that convert light to chemical energy.

1,774 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Johann Deisenhofer1, Otto Epp1, K. Miki1, Robert Huber1, Hartmut Michel1 
TL;DR: In this paper, an atomic model of the prosthetic groups of the reaction center complex (4 bacteriochlorophyll b, 2 bacteriopheophytin b, 1 non-heme iron, 1 menaquinone, 4 heme groups) was built.

1,737 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202349
2022100
202161
202076
201953
201870