Structural basis for the molecular mechanisms of photosynthetic light-harvesting, charge separation and quinone transport

• Project/Area Number: 16H04174
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bio-related chemistry
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: Otomo Seiu 茨城大学, 理工学研究科(理学野), 教授 (10213612)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,020,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000)
• Keywords: 光合成 / 光捕集 / 光電変換 / エネルギー移動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Early events in photosynthesis are carried out by the antenna apparatus for light-harvesting (LH) and the reaction center (RC) for energy conversion. Since our publication of the crystal structure of a bacterial LH1-RC core complex (Nature 508, 228; 2014 and accompanying News & Views, Nature 508, 196; 2014), photosynthesis researchers are keen to resolve two fundamental questions: (i) what is the structural basis for the significantly different absorption properties of LH1-RC complexes from different photosynthetic bacteria, and (ii) how does “up-hill” energy transfer proceed in a natural photosynthetic system. Our study addresses the two questions. The results obtained from purple phototrophic bacteria provide detailed structural and spectroscopic information on the photosynthetic mechanisms of excitation energy transfer, charge separation and quinone transport, and pave the way for elucidation of the structure-function relationships in bacterial photosynthesis.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

好熱性光合成細菌から単離された光合成色素タンパク質は極めて高い熱安定性を示すことから、本研究から得られた知見は光合成初期過程における励起エネルギーの伝達機構、反応中心における光誘起電荷分離機構の解明に役立つだけでなく、将来の工学的応用を見据えた人工光合成における高効率のアンテナと光電変換素子の構築に対しても根拠となる設計指針を与えるものと考えられる。また、本研究で用いたLH1-RCの性質には金属イオンが深く関与していることから、色素膜タンパク質と金属イオン間における高度な分子認識機構の解明とともに、生物の極限環境への適応戦略の解明にもつながるものとして期待できる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Phospholipid distributions in purple phototrophic bacteria and LH1-RC core complexes (2019)
  • Author(s): Nagatsuma S.、Gotou K.、Yamashita T.、Yu L.-J.、Shen J.-R.、Madigan M.T.、Kimura Y.、Wang-Otomo Z.-Y.
  • Journal Title: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics Volume: 1860 Issue: 6 Pages: 461-468
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2019.04.001
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A dual role for Ca2+ in expanding the spectral diversity and stability of LH1-RC photocomplexes of purple phototrophic bacteria (2019)
  • Author(s): Imanishi, M., Takenouchi, M., Takaichi, S., Nakagawa, S., Saga, Y., Takenaka, S., Madigan, M.T., vermann, J., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y., and Kimura Y.
  • Journal Title: Biochemistry Volume: 58 Issue: 25 Pages: 2844-2852
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00351
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Blastochloris tepida, sp. nov., a thermophilic species of the bacteriochlorophyll b-containing genus Blastochloris (2019)
  • Author(s): Madigan, M. T, Resnick, S. M., Kempher, M, L., Dolnalkova, A. C., Takaichi, S., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y., Toyoda, A., Kurokawa, K., Mori, H. and Tsukatani, Y.
  • Journal Title: Arch. Microbiol. Volume: 201 Issue: 10 Pages: 1351-1359
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01701-4
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Properties and structure of a low-potential, penta-heme cytochrome c552 from a thermophilic purple sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum (2019)
  • Author(s): Chen J.-H., Yu L.-J., Boussac A., Wang-Otomo Z.-Y., Kuang T., Shen J.-R.
  • Journal Title: Photosynth. Res. Volume: 139 Issue: 1-3 Pages: 281-293
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0507-y
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Structure of photosynthetic LH1-RC supercomplex at 1.9 A resolution (2018)
  • Author(s): Yu Long-Jiang、Suga Michihiro、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、Shen Jian-Ren
  • Journal Title: Nature Volume: 556 Issue: 7700 Pages: 209-213
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0002-9
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Biochemical and Spectroscopic Characterizations of a Hybrid Light-Harvesting Reaction Center Core Complex (2018)
  • Author(s): Kimura Yukihiro、Hashimoto Kanako、Akimoto Seiji、Takenouchi Mizuki、Suzuki Kengo、Kishi Rikako、Imanishi Michie、Takenaka Shinji、Madigan Michael T.、Nagashima Kenji V. P.、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu
  • Journal Title: Biochemistry Volume: 57 Issue: 30 Pages: 4496-4503
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00644
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Novel features of LH1-RC from Thermochromatium tepidum revealed from its atomic resolution structure (2018)
  • Author(s): Yu Long-Jiang、Suga Michihiro、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、Shen Jian-Ren
  • Journal Title: The FEBS Journal Volume: 285 Issue: 23 Pages: 4359-4366
  • DOI: 10.1111/febs.14679
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Cooperative Photoprotection by Multicompositional Carotenoids in the LH1 Antenna from a Mutant Strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides (2018)
  • Author(s): Yu Jie、Tan Li-Ming、Kawakami Tomoaki、Wang Peng、Fu Li-Min、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、Zhang Jian-Ping
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B Volume: 122 Issue: 33 Pages: 8028-8036
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b06080
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] New Insights into the Mechanism of Uphill Excitation Energy Transfer from Core Antenna to Reaction Center in Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria (2018)
  • Author(s): Tan Li-Ming、Yu Jie、Kawakami Tomoaki、Kobayashi Masayuki、Wang Peng、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、Zhang Jian-Ping
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Volume: 9 Issue: 12 Pages: 3278-3284
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01197
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Orientation assignment of LH2 and LH1-RC complexes from Thermochromatium tepidum reconstituted in PC liposome and their ultrafast excitation dynamics comparison between in artificial and in natural chromatophores (2018)
  • Author(s): Dai Ling、Tan Li-Ming、Jiang Yang-Lin、Shi Ying、Wang Peng、Zhang Jian-Ping、Otomo Zheng-Yu
  • Journal Title: Chemical Physics Letters Volume: 705 Pages: 78-84
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2018.05.043
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Probing Structure-Function Relationships in Early Events in Photosynthesis Using a Chimeric Photocomplex (2017)
  • Author(s): Nagashima, V. P. K., Sasaki, M., Hashimoto, K., Takaichi, S., Nagashima, S., Yu, L.-J, Abe, Y., Goto, K., Kawakami, T., Takenouchi, M., Shibuya, S., Yamaguchi, A., Ohno, T., Shen, J.-R., Inoue, K., Madigan, M.T., Kimura, Y.* and Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y.
  • Journal Title: Proc. Nat. Aca. Sci. Volume: 114 Issue: 41 Pages: 10906-10911
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1703584114
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Carotenoid Singlet Fission Reactions in Bacterial Light Harvesting Complexes As Revealed by Triplet Excitation Profiles (2017)
  • Author(s): Yu Jie、Fu Li-Min、Yu Long-Jiang、Shi Ying、Wang Peng、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、Zhang Jian-Ping
  • Journal Title: Journal of the American Chemical Society Volume: 139 Issue: 44 Pages: 15984-15993
  • DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b09809
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Spectrally Selective Spectroscopy of Native Ca-Containing and Ba-Substituted LH1-RC Core Complexes from Thermochromatium tepidum (2017)
  • Author(s): Ratsep Margus、Timpmann Kou、Kawakami Tomoaki、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、Freiberg Arvi
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B Volume: 121 Issue: 45 Pages: 10318-10326
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b07841
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Metal Cations Induced αβ-BChl a Heterogeneity in LH1 as Revealed by Temperature-Dependent Fluorescence Splitting (2017)
  • Author(s): Ma Fei、Yu Long-Jiang、Llansola-Portoles Manuel J.、Robert Bruno、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、van Grondelle Rienk
  • Journal Title: ChemPhysChem Volume: 18 Issue: 16 Pages: 2295-2301
  • DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201700551
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Excitonic and Vibrational Coherence in the Excitation Relaxation Process of Two LH1 Complexes as Revealed by Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy (2017)
  • Author(s): Ma Fei、Yu Long-Jiang、Hendrikx Ruud、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、van Grondelle Rienk
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Volume: 8 Issue: 12 Pages: 2751-2756
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b00824
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Effects of Calcium Ions on the Thermostability and Spectroscopic Properties of the LH1-RC complex from a New Thermophilic Purple Bacterium Allochromatium tepidum (2017)
  • Author(s): Kimura, Y.*, Lyu, S., Okoshi, A., Okazaki, K., Nakamura, N., Ohashi, A., Ohno, T., Kobayashi, M., Imanishi, M., Takaichi, S., Madigan, M. T., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y.
  • Journal Title: J. Phys. Chem. B Volume: 121 Issue: 19 Pages: 5025-5032
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b03341
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Dependence of the hydration status of bacterial light-harvesting complex 2 on polyol cosolvents (2017)
  • Author(s): Shi Ying、Yu Jie、Yu Long-Jiang、Wang Peng、Fu Li-Min、Zhang Jian-Ping、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu
  • Journal Title: Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. Volume: 16 Issue: 5 Pages: 795-807
  • DOI: 10.1039/c6pp00270f
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Direct Observation of Energy Detrapping in LH1-RC Complex by Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy (2017)
  • Author(s): Ma Fei、Yu Long-Jiang、Hendrikx Ruud、Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu、van Grondelle Rienk
  • Journal Title: Journal of the American Chemical Society Volume: 139 Issue: 2 Pages: 591-594
  • DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b11017
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Spectroscopic and Thermodynamic Characterization of the Metal-Binding Sites in the LH1-RC Complex From Thermophilic Photosynthetic Bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum (2016)
  • Author(s): Kimura, Y., Yura, Y., Hayashi, Y., Li, Y., Onoda, M., Yu, L.-J., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y., Ohno, T.
  • Journal Title: J. Phys. Chem. B Volume: 120 Pages: 12466-12473
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Bacterial light-harvesting complexes showing giant second-order nonlinear optical response as revealed by hyper-Rayleigh light scattering. (2016)
  • Author(s): Ma, F., Yu, L.-J., Ma, X.-H., Wang, P., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y. & Zhang, J.-P.
  • Journal Title: J. Phys. Chem. B Volume: 120 Pages: 9395-9401
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Challenges facing an understanding of the nature of low-energy excited states in photosynthesis (2016)
  • Author(s): Reimers, J. R., Biczysko, M., Bruce, D., Coker, D., Frankcombe, T., Hashimoto, H., Hauer, J., Jankowiak, R., Kramer, T., Linnanto, J., Mamedov, F., M., R, M., Renger, T., Styring, S., Wan, J., Wang, Z., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y., Weng, Y.-X., Yang, C., Zhang, J.-P., Freiberg, A., and Krausz, E.
  • Journal Title: Biochim. Biophys. Acta Volume: 1857 Pages: 1627-1640
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Temperature dependent LH1→RC energy transfer in purple bacteria Tch. tepidum with shiftable LH1-Qy band: A natural system to investigate thermally activated energy transfer in photosynthesis (2016)
  • Author(s): Ma, F., Yu, L.-J., Wang-Otomo, Z.-Y. & Van Grondelle, R.
  • Journal Title: Biochim. Biophys. Acta Volume: 1857 Pages: 408-414
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] ATR–FTIR Detection of Metal-Sensitive Structural Changes in the Light-Harvesting 1 Reaction Center Complex from the Thermophilic Purple Sulfur Bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum (2013)
  • Author(s): Yong Li, Yukihiro Kimura, Teruhisa Arikawa, Zheng-Yu Wang-Otomo, and Takashi Ohno
  • Journal Title: Biochemistry Volume: 52 Issue: 50 Pages: 9001-9008
  • DOI: 10.1021/bi401033y
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] METAL ION-INDUCED STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN BACTERIAL LIGHT-HARVESTING COMPLEXES (2019)
  • Author(s): S. Otomo
  • Organizer: The 3rd International Conference on Solar Fuels (ISF-3), International Conference on Artificial Photosynthesis 2019 (ICARP2019 )
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Spectroscopic characterization of a bacteriochlorophyll b-based LH1-RC complexes from thermophilic purple bacterium Blactochloris tepida (2019)
  • Author(s): Michie Imanishi , Shinichi Takaichi , Shinji Takenaka, Michael T. Madigan, Seiu Otomo and Yukihiro Kimura
  • Organizer: 第57回日本生物物理学会大会
• [Presentation] A dual role for calcium in expanding the spectral diversity and stability of LH1-RC photocomplexes of purple phototrophic bacteria (2019)
  • Author(s): Michie Imanishi, Mizuki Takenouchi, Shinichi Takaichi, Shiori Nakagawa, Yoshitaka Saga Shinji Takenaka, Michael T. Madigan, Jorg Overmann, Seiu Otomo and Yukihiro Kimura
  • Organizer: 第57回日本生物物理学会
• [Presentation] 好熱性光合成細菌由来のチトクロムbc1複合体、シャペロニン及びリン酸結合タンパク質の単離精製と結晶化 (2019)
  • Author(s): 山下琢也, 川上知朗, 大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本光合成学会
• [Presentation] Where is the quinone gate in purple photosynthetic bacterial LH1-RC complex? (2018)
  • Author(s): 大友 征宇
  • Organizer: 日本生物物理学会大会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Origin of the anomalous uphill energy gap in the light-harvesting reaction center from purple photosynthetic bacterium strain 970 (2018)
  • Author(s): 今西三千絵, 小林正幸, 竹中慎治, M. T. Madigan, 大友征宇, 木村行宏
  • Organizer: 日本生物物理学会大会
• [Presentation] BChl bをもつ好熱性紅色非硫黄細菌Blastochloris tepida由来LH-RCの特性評価 (2018)
  • Author(s): 川上知朗、鈴木駿平、本田舞、竹之内瑞貴、高市真一、塚谷祐介、木村行宏、M. T. Madigan、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本光合成学会
• [Presentation] 963 nmにQy遷移をもつ紅色細菌Thiorhodovibrio strain 970由来LH1-RCの特性評価 (2018)
  • Author(s): 竹之内瑞貴, 川上知朗, 高市真一, 木村行宏, Michael T. Madigan, Jorg Overmann, 大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本光合成学会
• [Presentation] 光合成色素タンパク質複合体中の多元素同時測定 (2017)
  • Author(s): 大越 慧、川上知朗、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本光合成学会
• [Presentation] ハイブリッド型光捕集反応中心複合体の機能解析 (2017)
  • Author(s): 後藤健太、佐々木舞、阿部悠人、小沼里沙、永島賢治、永島咲子、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 生体分子討論会
• [Presentation] Co-crystallization of a bacterial photosynthetic electron-transfer complex (2017)
  • Author(s): 川上 知朗,梁 泰, 岡﨑 航大, 木村 行宏, 大友 征宇
  • Organizer: 第55回日本生物物理学会大会
• [Presentation] BChl bをもつ好熱性光合成細菌Blastochloris strain GIのLH1-RCの特性評価 (2017)
  • Author(s): 鈴木駿平、竹之内瑞貴、川上知朗、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本化学会関東支部茨城地区交流会
• [Presentation] 光合成細菌におけるリン脂質組成の分析 (2017)
  • Author(s): 長妻将吾、大越慧、梁泰、神田修人、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本化学会関東支部茨城地区交流会
• [Presentation] Purification and spectroscopic study of the light-harvesting complexes from thermophilic purple bacterium Allochromatium tepidum (2016)
  • Author(s): 中村夏紀, 呂淑文, 大越慧, 岡﨑航大,川上知朗, Madigan M. T., 木村行宏, 大友征宇
  • Organizer: 第54回日本生物物理学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: つくば国際会議場
  • Year and Date: 2016-11-25
• [Presentation] Structural basis for the metal-ion recognition of the bacterial light-harvesting core complex (2016)
  • Author(s): 川上知朗、于龍江、木村行宏、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 第54回日本生物物理学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: つくば国際会議場
  • Year and Date: 2016-11-25
• [Presentation] Crystal structures reveal molecular basis for the bacterial LH1 Qy transition and its thermostability (2016)
  • Author(s): Z.-Y. Wang-Otomo, L.-J. Yu, T. Kawakami, Y. Kimura
  • Organizer: 第１７回国際光合成会議
  • Place of Presentation: MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS
  • Year and Date: 2016-08-08
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Characterization of the LH complexes from a new thermophilic purple bacterium Allochromatium tepidum (2016)
  • Author(s): T. Kawakami, N. Nakamura, Y. Kimura, K. Okazaki, A. Ohkoshi, M. T. Madigan, Z.-Y. Wang-Otomo
  • Organizer: 第１７回国際光合成会議
  • Place of Presentation: MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS
  • Year and Date: 2016-08-08
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 888 nmにQy遷移をもつ紅色細菌LH1の構造解析 (2016)
  • Author(s): 于 龍江，川上知朗，木村行宏，大友征宇
  • Organizer: 光合成セミナー2016
  • Place of Presentation: 龍谷大学
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-09
• [Presentation] 光捕集反応中心におけるキノン分子の輸送機構について (2016)
  • Author(s): 川上知朗、于龍江、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 生体分子討論会
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-24
• [Presentation] 金属イオンがもたらす光捕集反応中心の構造と特性変化 (2016)
  • Author(s): 川上知朗、于龍江、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本光合成学会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京理科大学
  • Year and Date: 2016-05-27
• [Presentation] 紅色光合成細菌におけるキノン組成の同定 (2016)
  • Author(s): 吉村未来、木村優花、川上知朗、大友征宇
  • Organizer: 日本光合成学会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京理科大学
  • Year and Date: 2016-05-27
• [Remarks] 大友研ホームページ
  • URL: http://biophys.sci.ibaraki.ac.jp
• [Remarks] http://biophys.sci.ibaraki.ac.jp