Excited-state dynamics in photosystem II: insights from the x-ray crystal structure.

ABSTRACT: The heart of oxygenic photosynthesis is photosystem II (PSII), a multisubunit protein complex that uses solar energy to drive the splitting of water and production of molecular oxygen. The effectiveness of the photochemical reaction center of PSII depends on the efficient transfer of excitation energy from the surrounding antenna chlorophylls. A kinetic model for PSII, based on the x-ray crystal structure coordinates of 37 antenna and reaction center pigment molecules, allows us to map the major energy transfer routes from the antenna chlorophylls to the reaction center chromophores. The model shows that energy transfer to the reaction center is slow compared with the rate of primary electron transport and depends on a few bridging chlorophyll molecules. This unexpected energetic isolation

SUBMITTER: Vasil'ev S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC37482 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature