Formation of Bacteriochlorophyll Form B820 in Light Harvesting 2 Complexes from Purple Sulfur Bacteria Treated with Dioxane

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Z. K. Makhneva, O. A. Toropygina, and A. A. Moskalenko^*

Institute of Basic Biological Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya 2, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; fax: (0967) 790-532; E-mail: andrey-mos@ibbp.psn.ru; andrey-mos@issp.serpukhov.su

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received October 27, 2004; Revision received December 8, 2004

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Treatment of some sulfur bacteria (Allochromatium minutissimum, Thiorhodospira sibirica, and Ectothiorhodospira halovacuolata WN22) with dioxane results in formation of the bacteriochlorophyll form B820 in the light harvesting complex LH2. This form characterized by absorption maximum at 820 nm has the same absorption spectrum as B820 subcomplex from LH1 complex. Appearance of the B820 form was accompanied by a sharp decrease in absorption in the carotenoid region. This phenomenon observed in all LH2 complexes investigated may be attributed to formation of colorless carotenoid aggregates. This is very similar to the previously reported dissociation of the LH1 complex with carotenoids into B820 subcomplexes. Although the B820 form corresponded the bacteriochlorophyll dimer, its circular dichroism spectrum showed that pigment molecules in this dimer exhibit different interaction than those in the B820 subcomplex. The dioxane treatment of LH2 complexes isolated from Rhodopseudomonas palustris bacteria grown under normal or low intensity illumination did not result in formation of such dimers. It is suggested that bacteriochlorophyll B820 formation is related to unique structure of LH2 complexes from the sulfur bacteria.

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KEY WORDS: photosynthetic bacteria, LH2 complexes, bacteriochlorophyll B820, dimers, dioxane, spectroscopy, electrophoresis

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