Photoproduction of catalase-insensitive peroxides on the donor side of manganese-depleted photosystem II: evidence with a specific fluorescent probe.

The photoproduction of organic peroxides (ROOH) in photosystem II (PSII) membranes was studied using the fluorescent probe Spy-HP. Two types of peroxide, highly lipophilic ones and relatively hydrophilic ones, were distinguished by the rate of reaction with Spy-HP; the former oxidized Spy-HP to the higher fluorescent form Spy-HPOx within 5 min, while the latter did so very slowly (the reaction was still not completed after 180 min). The level of photoproduction of these peroxides was significantly larger in the alkaline-treated, Mn-depleted PSII membranes than that in the untreated membranes, and it was suppressed by an artificial electron donor (diphenylcarbazide or ferrocyanide) and by the electron transport inhibitor diuron.

Photoconsumption of molecular oxygen on both donor and acceptor sides of photosystem II in Mn-depleted subchloroplast membrane fragments.

Oxygen consumption in Mn-depleted photosystem II (PSII) preparations under continuous and pulsed illumination is investigated. It is shown that removal of manganese from the water-oxidizing complex (WOC) by high pH treatment leads to a 6-fold increase in the rate of O(2) photoconsumption. The use of exogenous electron acceptors and donors to PSII shows that in Mn-depleted PSII preparations along with the well-known effect of O(2) photoreduction on the acceptor side of PSII, there is light-induced O(2) consumption on the donor side of PSII (nearly 30% and 70%, respectively).

Reconstitution of the water-oxidizing complex in manganese-depleted photosystem II preparations using synthetic Mn complexes: a fluorine-19 NMR study of the reconstitution process.

Reconstitution of Mn-depleted photosystem II (PSII) particles was examined with synthetic trinuclear Mn complexes of newly developed tripod ligands. Rates of the electron transfer and oxygen evolution were up to 74-86 and 52-56% of those measured in native PSII. These values are higher than those for the PSII reconstituted by MnCl(2).

Stabilization of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II by bicarbonate and glycinebetaine in thylakoid and subthylakoid preparations.

The protective effect of 1 M glycinebetaine on thermal inactivation of photosynthetic oxygen evolution in isolated photosystem II membrane fragments from spinach is observed in CO-free medium in both the presence and absence of added 2 mM bicarbonate. Conversely, the protective effect of 2 mM bicarbonate against thermoinactivation is seen in the absence as well as in the presence of 1 M glycinebetaine. The stabilizing effect of bicarbonate is also observed in thylakoid membranes from Synechococcus sp.