No abstract

Photosynthetic organisms harvest light energy, utilizing the absorption and energy-transfer properties of protein-bound chromophores. Controlling the harvesting efficiency is critical for the optimal function of the photosynthetic apparatus. Here, we show that the cyanobacterial light-harvesting antenna complex may be able to regulate the flow of energy to switch reversibly from efficient energy conversion to photoprotective quenching via a structural change. We isolated cyanobacterial light-harvesting proteins, phycocyanin and allophycocyanin, and measured their optical properties in solution and in an aggregated-desiccated state. The results indicate that energy band structures are changed, generating a switch between the two modes of operation, exciton transfer and quenching, achieved without dedicated carotenoid quenchers. This flexibility can contribute greatly to the large dynamic range of cyanobacterial light-harvesting systems.

Quantum nano-structures are likely to become primary elements of future devices. However, there are a number of significant scientific challenges to real world applications of quantum devices. These include de-coherence that erodes operation of a quantum device and control issues. In nature, certain processes have been shown to use quantum mechanical processes for overcoming these barriers. One well-known example is the high energy transmission efficiency of photosynthetic light harvesting complexes. Utilizing such systems for fabricating nano-devices provides a new approach to creating self-assembled nano-energy guides. In this study, we use isolated phycocyanin (PC) proteins that can self-assemble into bundles of nanowires. We show two methods for controlling the organization of the bundles. These nanowires exhibit long range quantum energy transfer through hundreds of proteins. Such results provide new efficient building blocks for coupling to nano-devices, and shed light on distribution and the efficiency of energy transfer mechanisms in biological systems and its quantum nature.

In this paper we propose an energy dissipation mechanism that is completely reliant on changes in the aggregation state of the phycobilisome light-harvesting antenna components. All photosynthetic organisms regulate the efficiency of excitation energy transfer (EET) to fit light energy supply to biochemical demands. Not many do this to the extent required of desert crust cyanobacteria. Following predawn dew deposition, they harvest light energy with maximum efficiency until desiccating in the early morning hours. In the desiccated state, absorbed energy is completely quenched. Time and spectrally resolved fluorescence emission measurements of the desiccated desert crust Leptolyngbya ohadii strain identified (i) reduced EET between phycobilisome components, (ii) shorter fluorescence lifetimes, and (iii) red shift in the emission spectra, compared with the hydrated state. These changes coincide with a loss of the ordered phycobilisome structure, evident from small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy data. Based on these observations we propose a model where in the hydrated state the organized rod structure of the phycobilisome supports directional EET to reaction centers with minimal losses due to thermal dissipation. In the desiccated state this structure is lost, giving way to more random aggregates. The resulting EET path will exhibit increased coupling to the environment and enhanced quenching.eserts cover almost half of the Earth's terrestrial surface, and although desert conditions may seem unfavorable, they are home for diverse ecosystems. Many of these ecosystems are founded on biological desert crusts, which play an essential role in stabilizing shifting sands and enriching them with nutrients (1, 2). Cyanobacteria are among the first microorganisms to inhabit these crusts where one of the major sources of water is often dew deposited before dawn (3, 4). However, as temperatures elevate, water quickly evaporates. Such conditions can be extremely harmful for photosynthetic organisms and require adaptations on all cellular levels (3-9). These include shifts in metabolic profiles and the accumulation of compatible solutes. A key issue is the adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus because continued photosynthetic activity under high light, and especially in combination with desiccation, may lead to the production of reactive oxygen species that will cause damage to the entire cell (10-12). The cyanobacteria that colonize sand crusts evolved strategies for coping with these daily cycles of hydration using mechanisms that enable extensive quenching of absorbed light energy. The extent of quenching in these organisms far exceeds that of common laboratory model organisms (13, 14).Our studies focused on Leptolyngbya ohadii, a crust cyanobacterium isolated from the Nizzana region of the NW Negev desert in Israel (3,6). This is a keystone organism in this environment (4). To maintain L. ohadii cells in a viable state the desiccation process must be gradual (3). Recovery o...

Cyanobacteria light-harvesting complexes can change their structure to cope with fluctuating environmental conditions. Studying in vivo structural changes is difficult owing to complexities imposed by the cellular environment. Mimicking this system in vitro is challenging, as well. The in vivo system is highly concentrated, and handling similar in vitro concentrated samples optically is difficult because of high absorption. In this research, we mapped the cyanobacteria antennas self-assembly pathways using highly concentrated solutions of phycocyanin (PC) that mimic the in vivo condition. PC was isolated from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vulcanus and measured by several methods. PC has three oligomeric states: hexamer, trimer, and monomer. We showed that the oligomeric state was changed upon increase of PC solution concentration. This oligomerization mechanism may enable photosynthetic organisms to adapt their light-harvesting system to a wide range of environmental conditions.