| 1. |
- Cardona, Tanai, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Excitation energy transfer to Photosystem I in filaments and heterocysts of Nostoc punctiforme
- 2010
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Bioenergetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0005-2728 .- 1879-2650. ; 1797:3, s. 425-433
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cyanobacteria adapt to varying light conditions by controlling the amount of excitation energy to the photosystems. On the minute time scale this leads to redirection of the excitation energy, usually referred to as state transitions, which involves movement of the phycobilisomes. We have studied short-term light adaptation in isolated heterocysts and intact filaments from the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133. In N. punctiforme vegetative cells differentiate into heterocysts where nitrogen fixation takes place. Photosystem II is inactivated in the heterocysts, and the abundancy of Photosystem I is increased relative to the vegetative cells. To study light-induced changes in energy transfer to Photosystem I, pre-illumination was made to dark adapted isolated heterocysts. Illumination wavelengths were chosen to excite Photosystem I (708 nm) or phycobilisomes (560. nm) specifically. In heterocysts that were pre-illuminated at 708. nm, fluorescence from the phycobilisome terminal emitter was observed in the 77 K emission spectrum. However, illumination with 560. nm light caused quenching of the emission from the terminal emitter, with a simultaneous increase in the emission at 750 nm, indicating that the 560 nm pre-illumination caused trimerization of Photosystem I. Excitation spectra showed that 560 nm pre-illumination led to an increase in excitation transfer from the phycobilisomes to trimeric Photosystem I. Illumination at 708 nm did not lead to increased energy transfer from the phycobilisome to Photosystem I compared to dark adapted samples. The measurements were repeated using intact filaments containing vegetative cells, and found to give very similar results as the heterocysts. This demonstrates that molecular events leading to increased excitation energy transfer to Photosystem I, including trimerization, are independent of Photosystem II activity.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Magnuson, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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Modeling Photosystem I with the alternative reaction center protein PsaB2 in the nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme
- 2011
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Bioenergetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0005-2728 .- 1879-2650. ; 1807:9, s. 1152-1161
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Five nitrogen fixing cyanobacterial strains have been found to contain PsaB2, an additional and divergent gene copy for the Photosystem I reaction center protein PsaB. In all five species the divergent gene, psaB2, is located separately from the normal psaAB operon in the genome. The protein, PsaB2, was recently identified in heterocysts of Nostoc punctiforme sp. strain PCC 73102. 12 conserved amino acid replacements and one insertion, were identified by a multiple sequence alignment of several PsaB2 and PsaB1 sequences. Several, including an inserted glutamine, are located close to the iron-sulfur cluster F(x) in the electron transfer chain. By homology modeling, using the Photosystem I crystal structure as template, we have found that the amino acid composition in PsaB2 will introduce changes in critical parts of the Photosystem I protein structure. The changes are close to F(x) and the phylloquinone (PhQ) in the B-branch, indicating that the electron transfer properties most likely will be affected. We suggest that the divergent PsaB2 protein produces an alternative Photosystem I reaction center with different structural and electron transfer properties. Some interesting physiologcial consequences that this can have for the function of Photosystem I in heterocysts, are discussed.
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| 4. |
- Magnuson, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular Chemistry for Solar Fuels : From Natural to Artificial Photosynthesis
- 2012
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Ingår i: Australian journal of chemistry (Print). - 0004-9425 .- 1445-0038. ; 65:6, s. 564-572
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The world needs new, environmentally friendly, and renewable fuels to exchange for fossil fuels. The fuel must be made from cheap, abundant, and renewable resources. The research area of solar fuels aims to meet this demand. This paper discusses why we need a solar fuel, and proposes solar energy as the major renewable energy source to feed from. The scientific field concerning artificial photosynthesis is expanding rapidly and most of the different scientific visions for solar fuels are briefly reviewed. Research strategies for the development of artificial photosynthesis to produce solar fuels are overviewed, with some critical concepts discussed in closer detail.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Raleiras, Patricia, et al.
(författare)
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Isolation and Characterization of the Small Subunit of the Uptake Hydrogenase from the Cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 288:25, s. 18345-18352
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, hydrogen evolution is associated with hydrogenases and nitrogenase, making these enzymes interesting targets for genetic engineering aimed at increased hydrogen production. Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that expresses the uptake hydrogenase HupSL in heterocysts under nitrogen-fixing conditions. Little is known about the structural and biophysical properties of HupSL. The small subunit, HupS, has been postulated to contain three iron-sulfur clusters, but the details regarding their nature have been unclear due to unusual cluster binding motifs in the amino acid sequence. We now report the cloning and heterologous expression of Nostoc punctiforme HupS as a fusion protein, f-HupS. We have characterized the anaerobically purified protein by UV-visible and EPR spectroscopies. Our results show that f-HupS contains three iron-sulfur clusters. UV-visible absorption of f-HupS has bands similar to 340 and 420 nm, typical for iron-sulfur clusters. The EPR spectrum ofthe oxidized f-HupS shows a narrow g = 2.023 resonance, characteristic of a low-spin (S = 1/2) [3Fe-4S] cluster. The reduced f-HupS presents complex EPR spectra with overlapping resonances centered on g = 1.94, g = 1.91, and g = 1.88, typical of low-spin (S = 1/2) [4Fe-4S] clusters. Analysis of the spectroscopic data allowed us to distinguish between two species attributable to two distinct [4Fe-4S] clusters, in addition to the [3Fe-4S] cluster. This indicates that f-HupS binds [4Fe-4S] clusters despite the presence of unusual coordinating amino acids. Furthermore, our expression and purification of what seems to be an intact HupS protein allows future studies on the significance of ligand nature on redox properties ofthe iron-sulfur clusters of HupS.
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| 7. |
- Thapper, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels – an Evolving Research Field within AMPEA, a Joint Programme of the European Energy Research Alliance
- 2013
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Ingår i: Green. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1869-8778 .- 1869-876X. ; 3:1, s. 43-57
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- On the path to an energy transition away from fossil fuels to sustainable sources, the European Union is for the moment keeping pace with the objectives of the Strategic Energy Technology-Plan. For this trend to continue after 2020, scientific breakthroughs must be achieved. One main objective is to produce solar fuels from solar energy and water in direct processes to accomplish the efficient storage of solar energy in a chemical form. This is a grand scientific challenge. One important approach to achieve this goal is Artificial Photosynthesis. The European Energy Research Alliance has launched the Joint Programme “Advanced Materials & Processes for Energy Applications” (AMPEA) to foster the role of basic science in Future Emerging Technologies. European researchers in artificial photosynthesis recently met at an AMPEA organized workshop to define common research strategies and milestones for the future. Through this work artificial photosynthesis became the first energy research sub-field to be organised into what is designated “an Application” within AMPEA. The ambition is to drive and accelerate solar fuels research into a powerful European field – in a shorter time and with a broader scope than possible for individual or national initiatives. Within AMPEA the Application Artificial Photosynthesis is inclusive and intended to bring together all European scientists in relevant fields. The goal is to set up a thorough and systematic programme of directed research, which by 2020 will have advanced to a point where commercially viable artificial photosynthetic devices will be under development in partnership with industry.
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