Native electrospray mass spectrometry reveals the nature and stoichiometry of pigments in the FMO photosynthetic antenna protein.

ABSTRACT: The nature and stoichiometry of pigments in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) photosynthetic antenna protein complex were determined by native electrospray mass spectrometry. The FMO antenna complex was the first chlorophyll-containing protein that was crystallized. Previous results indicate that the FMO protein forms a trimer with seven bacteriochlorophyll a in each monomer. This model has long been a working basis to understand the molecular mechanism of energy transfer through pigment/pigment and pigment/protein coupling. Recent results have suggested, however, that an eighth bacteriochlorophyll is present in some subunits. In this report, a direct mass spectrometry measurement of the molecular weight of the intact FMO protein complex clearly indicates the existence of an eighth pigment, w

SUBMITTER: Wen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4000732 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature