Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

Observation of conformational dynamics in single light-harvesting proteins from cryptophyte algae

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dc.contributor Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry
dc.creator Moya, Raymundo
dc.creator Norris, Audrey C
dc.creator Spangler, Leah C
dc.creator Scholes, Gregory D
dc.creator Schlau-Cohen, Gabriela S
dc.date 2022-09-19T17:41:36Z
dc.date 2022-09-19T17:41:36Z
dc.date 2022-07-21
dc.date 2022-09-19T17:28:54Z
dc.date.accessioned 2023-02-17T20:16:46Z
dc.date.available 2023-02-17T20:16:46Z
dc.identifier https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145500
dc.identifier Moya, Raymundo, Norris, Audrey C, Spangler, Leah C, Scholes, Gregory D and Schlau-Cohen, Gabriela S. 2022. "Observation of conformational dynamics in single light-harvesting proteins from cryptophyte algae." The Journal of Chemical Physics, 157 (3).
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/242506
dc.description <jats:p> Photosynthetic organisms use pigment–protein complexes to capture the sunlight that powers most life on earth. Within these complexes, the position of the embedded pigments is all optimized for light harvesting. At the same time, the protein scaffold undergoes thermal fluctuations that vary the structure, and, thus, photophysics, of the complexes. While these variations are averaged out in ensemble measurements, single-molecule spectroscopy provides the ability to probe these conformational changes. We used single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to identify the photophysical substates reflective of distinct conformations and the associated conformational dynamics in phycoerythrin 545 (PE545), a pigment–protein complex from cryptophyte algae. Rapid switching between photophysical states was observed, indicating that ensemble measurements average over a conformational equilibrium. A highly quenched conformation was also identified, and its population increased under high light. This discovery establishes that PE545 has the characteristics to serve as a photoprotective site. Finally, unlike homologous proteins from the evolutionarily related cyanobacteria and red algae, quenching was not observed upon photobleaching, which may allow for robust photophysics without the need for rapid repair or replacement machinery. Collectively, these observations establish the presence of a rich and robust set of conformational states of PE545. Cryptophytes exhibit particularly diverse energetics owing to the variety of microenvironments in which they survive, and the conformational states and dynamics reported here may provide photophysical flexibility that contributes to their remarkable ability to flourish under diverse conditions. </jats:p>
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en
dc.publisher AIP Publishing
dc.relation 10.1063/5.0095763
dc.relation The Journal of Chemical Physics
dc.rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
dc.rights https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.source American Institute of Physics (AIP)
dc.title Observation of conformational dynamics in single light-harvesting proteins from cryptophyte algae
dc.type Article
dc.type http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle


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