Photo-induced oxidation of a dinuclear Mn(2)(II,II) complex to the Mn(2)(III,IV) state by inter- and intramolecular electron transfer to Ru(III)tris-bipyridine.

To model the structural and functional parts of the water oxidizing complex in Photosystem II, a dimeric manganese(II,II) complex (1) was linked to a ruthenium(II)tris-bipyridine (Ru(II)(bpy)(3)) complex via a substituted L-tyrosine, to form the trinuclear complex 2 [J. Inorg. Biochem. 78 (2000) 15]. Flash photolysis of 1 and Ru(II)(bpy)(3) in aqueous solution, in the presence of an electron acceptor, resulted in the stepwise extraction of three electrons by Ru(III)(bpy)(3) from the Mn(2)(II,II) dimer, which then attained the Mn(2)(III,IV) oxidation state. In a similar experiment with compound 2, the dinuclear Mn complex reduced the photo-oxidized Ru moiety via intramolecular electron transfer on each photochemical event. From EPR it was seen that 2 also reached the Mn(2)(III,IV) state. Our data indicate that oxidation from the Mn(2)(II,II) state proceeds stepwise via intermediate formation of Mn(2)(II,III) and Mn(2)(III,III). In the presence of water, cyclic voltammetry showed an additional anodic peak beyond Mn(2)(II,III/III,III) oxidation which was significantly lower than in neat acetonitrile. Assuming that this peak is due to oxidation to Mn(2)(III,IV), this suggests that water is essential for the formation of the Mn(2)(III,IV) oxidation state. Compound 2 is a structural mimic of the water oxidizing complex, in that it links a Mn complex via a tyrosine to a highly oxidizing photosensitizer. Complex 2 also mimics mechanistic aspects of Photosystem II, in that the electron transfer to the photosensitizer is fast and results in several electron extractions from the Mn moiety.

A biomimetic approach to artificial photosynthesis: Ru(II)-polypyridine photo-sensitisers linked to tyrosine and manganese electron donors.

The paper describes recent advances towards the construction of functional mimics of the oxygen evolving complex in photosystem II (PSII) that are coupled to photoinduced charge separation. Some key principles of PSII and artificial systems for light-induced charge accumulation are discussed. Systems are described where biomimetic electron donors--manganese complexes and tyrosine--have been linked to a Ru(II)-polypyridine photosensitiser. Oxidation of the donors by intramolecular electron transfer from the photo-oxidised Ru(III) complex has been studied using optical flash photolysis and EPR experiments. A step-wise electron transfer Mn(III,III)-->tyrosine Ru(III) has been demonstrated, in analogy to the reaction on the donor side of PSII. Electron transfer from the tyrosine to Ru(III) was coupled to tyrosine deprotonation. This resulted in a large reorganisation energy and thus a slow reaction rate, unless the tyrosine was hydrogen bonded or already deprotonated. A comparison with analogous reactions in PSII is made. Finally, light-induced oxidation of a manganese dimer linked to a Ru(II)-photosensitiser has been observed. Preliminary results suggest the possibility of photo-oxidising manganese dimers in several steps, which is an important advancement towards water oxidation.

The S(3) state of the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II is converted to the S(2)Y(Z)* state at alkaline pH.

Here we report an EPR signal that is induced by a pH jump to alkaline pH in the S(3) state of the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II. The S(3) state is first formed with two flashes at pH 6. Thereafter, the pH is changed in the dark prior to freezing of the sample. The EPR signal is 90-100 G wide and centered around g = 2. The signal is reversibly induced with a pK = 8.5 +/- 0.3 and is very stable with a decay half-time of 5-6 min. If the pH is changed in the dark from pH 8.6 to 6.0, the signal disappears although the S(3) state remains. We propose that the signal arises from the interaction between the Mn cluster and Y(Z), resulting in the spin-coupled S(2)Y(Z)(*) signal. Our data suggest that the potential of the Y(Z)(*)/Y(Z) redox couple is sensitive to the ambient pH in the S(3) state. The alkaline pH decreases the potential of the Y(Z)(*)/Y(Z) couple so that Y(Z) can give back an electron to the S(3) state, thereby obtaining the S(2)Y(Z)(*) EPR signal. The tyrosine oxidation also involves proton release from Y(Z), and the results support a mechanism where this proton is released to the bulk medium presumably via a close-lying base. Thus, the equilibrium is changed from S(3)Y(Z) to S(2)Y(Z)(*) by the alkaline pH. At normal pH (pH 5.5-7), this equilibrium is set strongly to the S(3)Y(Z) state. The results are discussed in relation to the present models of water oxidation. Consequences for the relative redox potentials of Y(Z)(*)/Y(Z) and S(3)/S(2) at different pH values are discussed. We also compare the pH-induced S(2)Y(Z)(*) signal with the S(2)Y(Z)(*) signal from Ca(2+)-depleted photosystem II.

Comparative studies of the S0 and S2 multiline electron paramagnetic resonance signals from the manganese cluster in Photosystem II.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is one of the major techniques used to analyse the structure and function of the water oxidising complex (WOC) in Photosystem II. The discovery of an EPR signal from the S0 state has opened the way for new experiments, aiming to characterise the S0 state and elucidate the differences between the different S states. We present a review of the biochemical and biophysical characterisation of the S0 state multiline signal that has evolved since its discovery, and compare these results to previous and recent data from the S2 multiline signal. We also present some new data from the S2 state reached on the second turnover of the enzyme.

Photosystem II in different parts of the thylakoid membrane: a functional comparison between different domains.

The electron transport properties of photosystem II (PSII) from five different domains of the thylakoid membrane were analyzed by flash-induced fluorescence kinetics. These domains are the entire grana, the grana core, the margins from the grana, the stroma lamellae, and the Y100 fraction (which represent more purified stroma lamellae). The two first fractions originate from appressed grana membranes and have PSII with a high proportion of O(2)-evolving centers (80-90%) and efficient electron transport on the acceptor side. About 30% of the granal PSII centers were found in the margin fraction. Two-thirds of those PSII centers evolve O(2), but the electron transfer on the acceptor side is slowed. PSII from the stroma lamellae was less active. The fraction containing the entire stroma has only 43% O(2)-evolving PSII centers and slow electron transfer on the acceptor side. In contrast, PSII centers of the Y100 fraction show no O(2) evolution and were unable to reduce Q(B). Flash-induced fluorescence decay measurements in the presence of DCMU give information about the integrity of the donor side of PSII. We were able to distinguish between PSII centers with a functional Mn cluster and without any Mn cluster, and PSII centers which undergo photoactivation and have a partially assembled Mn cluster. From this analysis, we propose the existence of a PSII activity gradient in the thylakoid membrane. The gradient is directed from the stroma lamellae, where the Mn cluster is absent or inactive, via the margins where photoactivation accelerates, to the grana core domain where PSII is fully photoactivated. The photoactivation process correlates to the PSII diffusion along the membrane and is initiated in the stroma lamellae while the final steps take place in the appressed regions of the grana core. The margin domain is seemingly very important in this process.

Proton equilibria in the manganese cluster of photosystem II control the intensities of the S(0) and S(2) state g approximately 2 electron paramagnetic resonance signals.

We have studied the pH effect on the S(0) and S(2) multiline electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals from the water-oxidizing complex of photosystem II. Around pH 6, the maximum signal intensities were detected. On both the acidic and alkaline sides of pH 6, the intensities of the EPR signals decreased. Two pKs were determined for the S(0) multiline signal; pK(1) = 4.2 +/- 0.2 and pK(2) = 8.0 +/- 0.1, and for the S(2) multiline signal the pKs were pK(1) = 4.5 +/- 0.1 and pK(2) = 7.6 +/- 0.1. The intensity of the S(0)-state EPR signal was partly restored when the pH was changed from acidic or alkaline pH back to pH approximately 6. In the S(2) state we observed partial recovery of the multiline signal when going from alkaline pH back to pH approximately 6, whereas no significant recovery of the S(2) multiline signal was observed when the pH was changed from acidic pH back to pH approximately 6. Several possible explanations for the intensity changes as a function of pH are discussed. Some are ruled out, such as disintegration of the Mn cluster or decay of the S states and formal Cl(-) and Ca(2+) depletion. The altered EPR signal intensities probably reflect the protonation/deprotonation of ligands to the Mn cluster or the oxo bridges between the Mn ions. Also, the possibility of decreased multiline signal intensities at alkaline pH as an effect of changed redox potential of Y(Z) is put forward.

Towards an artificial model for Photosystem II: a manganese(II,II) dimer covalently linked to ruthenium(II) tris-bipyridine via a tyrosine derivative.

In order to model the individual electron transfer steps from the manganese cluster to the photooxidized sensitizer P680+ in Photosystem II (PS II) in green plants, the supramolecular complex 4 has been synthesized. In this complex, a ruthenium(II) tris-bipyridine type photosensitizer has been linked to a manganese(II) dimer via a substituted L-tyrosine, which bridges the manganese ions. The trinuclear complex 4 was characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The excited state lifetime of the ruthenium tris-bipyridine moiety in 4 was found to be about 110 ns in acetonitrile. Using flash photolysis in the presence of an electron acceptor (methylviologen), it was demonstrated that in the supramolecular complex 4 an electron was transferred from the excited state of the ruthenium tris-bipyridine moiety to methylviologen, forming a methylviologen radical and a ruthenium(III) tris-bipyridine moiety. Next, the Ru(III) species retrieved the electron from the manganese(II/II) dimer in an intramolecular electron transfer reaction with a rate constant kET > 1.0 x 10(7) s(-1), generating a manganese(II/III) oxidation state and regenerating the ruthenium(II) photosensitizer. This is the first example of intramolecular electron transfer in a supramolecular complex, in which a manganese dimer is covalently linked to a photosensitizer via a tyrosine unit, in a process which mimics the electron transfer on the donor side of PS II.

The EPR signals from the S0 and S2 states of the Mn cluster in photosystem II relax differently.

The oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) gives rise to manganese-derived electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals in the S0 and S2 oxidation states. These signals exhibit different microwave power saturation behavior between 4 and 10 K. Below 8 K, the S0 state EPR signal is a faster relaxer than the S2 multiline signal, but above 8 K, the S0 signal is the slower relaxer of the two. The different temperature dependencies of the relaxation of the S0 and S2 ground-state Mn signals are due to differences in the spin-lattice relaxation process. The dominating spin-lattice relaxation mechanism is concluded to be a Raman mechanism in the S0 state, with a T(4.1) temperature dependence of the relaxation rate. It is proposed that the relaxation of the S2 state arises from a Raman mechanism as well, with a T(6.8) temperature dependence of the relaxation rate, although the data also fit an Orbach process. If both signals relax through a Raman mechanism, the different exponents are proposed to reflect structural differences in the proteins surrounding the Mn cluster between the S0 and S2 states. The saturation of SII(slow) from the Y(D)(ox) radical on the D2 protein was also studied, and found to vary between the S0 and the S2 states of the enzyme in a manner similar to the EPR signals from the OEC. Furthermore, we found that the S2 multiline signal in the second turnover of the enzyme is significantly more difficult to saturate than in the first turnover. This suggests differences in the OEC between the first and second cycles of the enzyme. The increased relaxation rate may be caused by the appearance of a relaxation enhancer, or it may be due to subtle structural changes as the OEC is brought into an active state.

Methanol modification of the electron paramagnetic resonance signals from the S(0) and S(2) states of the water-oxidizing complex of photosystem II

The Mn-derived electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) multiline signal from the S(0) state of the water-oxidizing complex is observable only in the presence methanol. In the present study, we have characterized the effect of methanol on the EPR signals from the S(0) and S(2) states as well as on the EPR Signal II(slow) originating from the Tyrosine(D)(ox) radical. The amplitudes of the S(0) and S(2) multiline signals increase with the methanol concentration in a similar way, whereas the S(2) g=4.1 excited state signal amplitude shows a concomitant decrease. The methanol concentration at which half of the spectral change has occurred is approximately 0.2% and the effect is saturating around 5%. Methanol has an effect on the microwave power saturation of the S(2) multiline signal, as well. The microwave power at half saturation (P(1/2)) is 85 mW in the presence of methanol, whereas the signal relaxes much slower (P(1/2) approximately 27 mW) without. The relaxation of Signal II(slow) in the presence of methanol has also been investigated. The P(1/2) value of Signal II(slow) oscillates with the S cycle in a similar way as without methanol, but the P(1/2) values are consistently lower in the methanol-containing samples. From the results, we conclude that methanol modifies the magnetic properties of the S(0) and S(2) states in a similar way. The possible site and nature of methanol binding is discussed.

Interconversion of low- and high-potential forms of cytochrome b(559) in Tris-washed photosystem II membranes under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

In this study, the reversible conversion between the high- (HP) and low-potential (LP) forms of Cytb(559) has been analyzed in Tris-washed photosystem II (PSII) enriched membranes. These samples are deprived of the Mn cluster of the water-oxidizing complex (WOC) and the extrinsic regulatory proteins. The results obtained by application of optical and EPR spectroscopy reveal that (i) under aerobic conditions, the vast majority of Cytb(559) exhibits a low midpoint potential, (ii) after removal of O(2) in the dark, a fraction of Cytb(559) is converted to the high-potential form which reaches level of about 25% of the total Cytb(559), (iii) a similar dark transformation of LP --> HP Cytb(559) occurs under reducing conditions (8 mM hydroquinone), (iv) under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of 8 mM hydroquinone, about 60% of the Cytb(559) attains the HP form, (v) the interconversion is reversible with the re-establishment of aerobic conditions, and (vi) aerobic and oxidizing conditions (2 mM ferricyanide or 0.5 mM potassium iridate) induce a decrease of the amount of the HP form, also showing that the conversion is reversible. This reversible interconversion between LP and HP Cytb(559) is not observed in PSII membrane fragments with an intact WOC. On the basis of these findings, the possibility is discussed that the O(2)-dependent conversion of Cytb(559) in PSII complexes lacking a functionally competent WOC is related to a protective role of Cytb(559) in photoinhibition and/or that it is involved in the regulation of the assembly of a competent water-oxidizing complex in PSII.

The role of cytochrome b559 and tyrosineD in protection against photoinhibition during in vivo photoactivation of photosystem II

In vivo photoactivation of Photosystem II was studied in the FUD39 mutant strain of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii which lacks the 23 kDa protein subunit involved in water oxidation. Dark grown cells, devoid of oxygen evolution, were illuminated at 0.8 µE m-2s-1 light intensity which promotes optimal activation of oxygen evolution, or at 17 µE m-2s-1, where photoactivation compete with deleterious photodamage. The involvement of the two redox active cofactors tyrosineD and cytochrome b559 during the photoactivation process, was investigated by EPR spectroscopy. TyrosineD on the D2 reaction center protein functions as auxiliary electron donor to the primary donor P+680 during the first minutes of photoactivation at 0.8 µE m-2s-1 (compare with Rova et al., Biochemistry, 37 (1998) 11039-11045.). Here we show that also cytochrome b559 was rapidly oxidized during the first 10 min of photoactivation with a similar rate to tyrosineD. This implies that both cytochrome b559 and tyrosineD may function as auxiliary electron donors to P+680 and/or the oxidized tyrosine&z.ccirf;Z on the D1 protein, to avoid photoinhibition before successful photoactivation was accomplished. As the catalytic water-oxidation successively became activated, TyrosineD remained oxidized while cytochrome b559 became rereduced to the equilibrium level that was observed prior to photoactivation. At 17 µE m-2s-1 light intensity, where photoinhibition competes significantly with photoactivation, tyrosineD was very rapidly completely oxidized, after which the amount of oxidized tyrosineD decreased due to photoinhibition. In contrast, cytochrome b559 became reduced during the first 2 min of photoactivation at 17 µE m-2s-1. After this, it was reoxidized, returning to the equilibrium level within 10 min. Thus, during in vivo photoactivation in high-light cytochrome b559 serves two functions. Initially, it probably oxidizes the reduced primary acceptor pheophytin, thereby relieving the acceptor side of reductive pressure, and later on it serves as auxiliary electron donor, preventing donor-side photoinhibition.

Involvement of histidine 190 on the D1 protein in electron/proton transfer reactions on the donor side of photosystem II.

Flash-induced chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics from photosystem II in thylakoids from the dark-grown wild type and two site-directed mutants of the D1 protein His190 residue (D1-H190) in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have been characterized. Induction of the chlorophyll fluorescence on the first flash, reflecting electron transport from YZ to P680(+), exhibited a strong pH dependence with a pK of 7.6 in the dark-grown wild type which lacks the Mn cluster. The chlorophyll fluorescence decay, measured in the presence of DCMU, which reflects recombination between QA- and YZox, was also pH-dependent with a similar pK of 7.5. These results indicate participation by the same base, which is suggested to be D1-H190, in oxidation and reduction of YZ in forward electron transfer and recombination pathways, respectively. This hypothesis was tested in the D1-H190 mutants. Induction of chlorophyll fluorescence in these H190 mutants has been observed to be inefficient due to slow electron transfer from YZ to P680(+) [Roffey, R. A., et al. (1994) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1185, 257-270]. We show that this reaction is pH-dependent, with a pK of 8. 1, and at pH >/=9, the fluorescence induction is efficient in the H190 mutants, suggesting direct titration of YZ. The efficient oxidation of YZ ( approximately 70% at pH 9.0) at high pH was confirmed by kinetic EPR measurements. In contrast to the wild type, the H190 mutants show little or no observable fluorescence decay. Our data suggest that H190 is an essential component in the electron transfer reactions in photosystem II and acts as a proton acceptor upon YZ oxidation. In the H190 mutants, this reaction is inefficient and YZ oxidation only occurs at elevated pHs when YZ itself probably is deprotonated. We also propose that H190 is able to return a proton to YZox during electron recombination from QA- in a reaction which does not take place in the D1-H190 mutants.

Coupled activation of the donor and the acceptor side of photosystem II during photoactivation of the oxygen evolving cluster.

Photoactivation of photosystem II has been studied in the FUD 39 mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that lacks the 23 kDa extrinsic subunit of photosystem II. We have taken advantage of the slow photoactivation rate of FUD 39, earlier demonstrated in Rova, E. M., et al. [(1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 28918-28924], to study events in photosystem II during intermediate stages of the process. By measuring the EPR multiline signal, the decay of the variable fluorescence after single flashes, and electron transfer from water to the QB site, we found a good correlation between the building of a tetrameric Mn cluster, longer recombination times between QA- and the donor side of photosystem II, and the achievement of water splitting ability. An increased rate of electron transfer from QA- to the QB site on the acceptor side of photosystem II, mainly due to enhanced efficiency of binding of QB to its site, was found to precede the building of the Mn cluster. We also showed that TyrD was oxidized simultaneously with this increase in electron-transfer rate. Thus, it appears that photoactivation is sequential, with an increased rate of electron transfer on the acceptor side occurring together with the oxidation of TyrD in the first step, followed by the assembly of the Mn cluster. We suggest that a conformational change of photosystem II is induced early in the photoactivation process facilitating electron transfer from the primary donor to the acceptor side. As a consequence, TyrD, an auxiliary electron donor to P680+/TyrZ*, is oxidized. That this occurs before the Mn cluster is fully functional serves to protect photosystem II against donor side induced photodamage.

The S0 state EPR signal from the Mn cluster in photosystem II arises from an isolated S = 1/2 ground state.

During oxygen evolution, the Mn cluster in Photosystem II cycles through five oxidation states, S0-S4. S0 and S2 are paramagnetic, and can be monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Recently a new EPR signal from the S0 state was discovered [Ahrling et al. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 13148-13152, Messinger et al. (1997) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119, 11349-11350]. Here, we present a well-resolved S0 spectrum, taken at high power and low temperature. The spectrum is wider and more resolved than previously thought, with structure over more than 2500 G, and appears to have at least 20 reproducible peaks on each side of g = 2. We also present the temperature dependence of the unsaturated S0 signal amplitude. A linear relationship was found between signal intensity and reciprocal temperature (1/T) in the region 5-25 K, clearly extrapolating to 0. This obeys the Curie law, indicating that the S0 state is a ground S = 1/2 state with no thermally accessible excited state. The data are consistent with a minimum energy gap of 30 cm-1 between the ground and first excited states.

Tyrosyl radicals in enzyme catalysis: some properties and a focus on photosynthetic water oxidation.

Enzymes that require a redox-active amino acid for catalysis or function have emerged as a distinct class of proteins. For the tyrosine-based radical enzymes, we show that the spin-density distribution in the radical follows an odd alternate pattern that is invariant to within 10% across the class. General properties of the radical enzymes are summarized from which we conclude that their essential role in catalysis is to initiate substrate metabolism by hydrogen-atom abstraction. These ideas are extended to the YZ and YD tyrosines in Photosystem II and a radical-based hydrogen-atom abstraction model for water oxidation is discussed. Differences in rates of oxidation of YZ and YD by the reaction-center chlorophyll, P680+, under various conditions, are considered and rationalized on the basis of changes in reorganization energy induced by the local protein structure and by the presence or absence of the (Mn)4 cluster that binds substrate water.

An oscillating manganese electron paramagnetic resonance signal from the S0 state of the oxygen evolving complex in photosystem II.

Photosynthesis produces the oxygen necessary for all aerobic life. During this process, the manganese-containing oxygen evolving complex (OEC) in photosystem II (PSII), cycles through five oxidation states, S0-S4. One of these, S2, is known to be paramagnetic and gives rise to electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals used to probe the catalytic structure and function of the OEC. The S0 states has long been thought to be paramagnetic. We report here a Mn EPR signal from the previously EPR invisible S0 state. The new signal oscillates with a period of four, indicating that it originates from fully active PSII centers. Although similar to the S2 state multiline signal, the new signal is wider (2200 gauss compared with 1850 gauss in samples produced by flashing), with different peak intensity and separation (82 gauss compared with 89 gauss). These characteristics are consistent with the S0 state EPR signal arising from a coupled MnII-MnIII intermediate. The new signal is more stable than the S2 state signal and its decay in tens of minutes is indicative of it originating from the S0 state. The S0 state signal will provide invaluable information toward the understanding of oxygen evolution in plants.

A model for the photosystem II reaction center core including the structure of the primary donor P680.

For a detailed understanding of the function of photosystem II (PSII), a molecular structure is needed. The crystal structure has not yet been determined, but the PSII reaction center proteins D1 and D2 show homology with the L and M subunits of the photosynthetic reaction center from purple bacteria. We have modeled important parts of the D1 and D2 proteins on the basis of the crystallographic structure of the reaction center from Rhodopseudomonas viridis. The model contains the central core of the PSII reaction center, including the protein regions for the transmembrane helices B, C, D, and E and loops B-C and C-D connecting the helices. In the model, four chlorophylls, two pheophytins, and the nonheme Fe2+ ion are included. We have applied techniques from computational chemistry that incorporate statistical data on side-chain rotameric states from known protein structure and that describe interactions within the model using an empirical potential energy function. The conformation of chlorophyll pigments in the model was optimized by using exciton interaction calculations in combination with potential energy calculations to find a solution that agrees with experimentally determined exciton interaction energies. The model is analyzed and compared with experimental results for the regions of P680, the redox active pheophytin, the acceptor side Fe2+, and the tyrosyl radicals TyrD and TyrZ. P680 is proposed to be a weakly coupled chlorophyll a pair which makes three hydrogen bonds with residues on the D1 and D2 proteins. In the model the redox-active pheophytin is hydrogen bonded to D1-Glu130 and possibly also to D1-Tyr126 and D1-Tyr147. TyrD is hydrogen bonded to D2-His190 and also interacts with D2-Gln165. TyrZ is bound in a hydrophilic environment which is partially constituted by D1-Gln165, D1-Asp170, D1-Glu189, and D1-His190. These polar residues are most likely involved in proton transfer from oxidized TyrZ or in metal binding.

Photoactivation and photoinhibition are competing in a mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lacking the 23-kDa extrinsic subunit of photosystem II.

The process of photoactivation has been studied in dark grown cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. A mutant, FUD 39, lacking the Cl--concentrating 23-kDa psbP protein of photosystem II was found to have a decreased capability to perform photoactivation. The yield of the process never reached wild type level, and contrary to the wild type, it was highly dependent on the intensity of the activating light, with a very narrow optimum around 1 microE m-2 s-1. The different behavior in the mutant can be explained by a requirement for a longer dark period, between the two photoacts, during the photoactivation. This is proposed to reflect the decreased Cl- affinity in the mutant. Photoactivation in the mutant was also found to be very sensitive to competing photoinhibitory processes. The inhibition was located to the donor side of photosystem II and affected the photoactivation capability before electron transfer from Tyrz was inhibited. We propose an extended model for photoactivation in which an intermediate that is sensitive to photoinhibition is formed if Cl- is not functionally bound to the manganese cluster.

Spectroscopic characterization of intermediate steps involved in donor-side-induced photoinhibition of photosystem II.

The reaction center protein D1 in photosystem II shows a high turnover during illumination. The degradation of the D1 protein is preceded by photoinhibition of the electron transport in photosystem II. There are two distinct mechanisms for this: acceptor-side- and donor-side-induced photoinhibition. Here, donor-side-induced photoinhibition was studied in photosystem II membranes after Cl- depletion or washing with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) which destroys water oxidation, reversibly or irreversibly, respectively. Photoinhibition after these treatments leads to fast degradation of the D1 protein, and the mechanism behind this was investigated. Illumination of Cl- depleted photosystem II membranes resulted in a rapid and simultaneous inhibition of Cl(-)-reconstitutable oxygen evolution, loss of 2 Mn ions per photosystem II center, increase in the electron transfer between the electron donor diphenylcarbazide and electron acceptor 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, and an increase in the EPR signal IIfast from tyrosine-Zox. The destruction of the Mn cluster leads to the loss of oxygen evolution and to an increased accessibility for diphenylcarbazide to donate electrons to Tyr-Zox. The increase in the EPR signal from Tyr-Zox can be explained by slower reduction kinetics of Tyr-Zox due to the Mn release. On a longer photoinhibition time scale, a decrease in the amplitude of Tyr-Zox and inhibition of the electron transport from diphenylcarbazide to 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol occurred simultaneously in both Cl(-)-depleted and Tris-washed photosystem II membranes. These slower photoinhibition reactions were then studied in detail in Tris-washed photosystem II membranes. Compared to photoinhibition of Tyr-Zox, the EPR signal from tyrosine-Dox decreased much slower. Tyr-Dox was photoinhibited in parallel with the EPRsignals from reduced QA, reduced pheophytin, and an oxidized chlorophyll radical (chlorophyllz). This shows that the acceptor side components and the primary charge separation reaction (P680+ pheophytin-) were operational although Tyr-Z was inactivated. The amount of the D1 protein also declined in parallel with Tyr-Dox, which shows that the D1 protein is not damaged until long after the Mn complex and Tyr-Z have become inactivated. Instead, it is likely that the strongly oxidizing P680+ is responsible for the damage to the D1 protein.

Copper(II) inhibition of electron transfer through photosystem II studied by EPR spectroscopy.

EPR spectroscopy was applied to investigate the inhibition of electron transport in photosystem II by Cu2+ ions. Our results show that Cu2+ has inhibitory effects on both the donor and the acceptor side of photosystem II. In the presence of Cu2+, neither EPR signal IIvery fast nor signal IIfast, which both reflect oxidation of tyrosinez, could be induced by illumination. This shows that Cu2+ inhibits electron transfer from tyrosinez to the oxidized primary donor P680+. Instead of tyrosinez oxidation, illumination results in the formation of a new radical with g = 2.0028 +/- 0.0002 and a spectral width of 9.5 +/- 0.3 G. At room temperature, this radical amounts to one spin per PS II reaction center. Incubation of photosystem II membranes with cupric ions also results in release of the 16 kDa extrinsic subunit and conversion of cytochrome b559 to the low-potential form. On the acceptor side, QA can still be reduced by illumination or chemical reduction with dithionite. However, incubation with Cu2+ results in loss of the normal EPR signal from QA- which is coupled to the non-heme Fe2+ on the acceptor side (the QA(-)-Fe2+ EPR signal). Instead, reduction of QA results in the formation of a free radical spectrum which is 9.5 G wide and centered at g = 2.0044. This signal is attributed to QA- which is magnetically decoupled from the non-heme iron. This suggests that Cu2+ displaces the Fe2+ or severely alters its binding properties. The inhibition of tyrosinez is reversible upon removal of the copper ions with EDTA while the modification of QA was found to be irreversible.