Calcium modulates the photoassembly of photosystem II (Mn)4-clusters by preventing ligation of nonfunctional high-valency states of manganese.

The requirement for Ca2+ in the Mn(2+)-dependent photoactivation of oxygen evolution was re-evaluated using 17 kDa/24 kDa-less photosystem II (PSII) membranes depleted of (Mn)4-clusters by NH2OH extraction. At optimum conditions (1 mM Mn2+/10 microM 2,6-dichlorphenolindophenol (DCIP)/20 mM Ca2+), the light-induced increase of oxygen-evolution activity, the increase of membrane-bound Mn, and the B-band thermoluminescence emission intensity occurred in parallel. The extent of recovery of the oxygen-evolution activity was equivalent to 88% and 66% of the activity shown by parent NaCl-extracted PSII membranes and by PSII membranes, respectively.

Superoxide contributes to the rapid inactivation of specific secondary donors of the photosystem II reaction center during photodamage of manganese-depleted photosystem II membranes.

The role of superoxide in the mechanism of photoinactivation of the secondary donors of the reaction center of photosystem II membranes depleted of Mn by extraction with NH2OH plus EDTA (NH2OH/EDTA-PSII) was assessed. EPR analyses (g = 2 region) in continuous light, optical kinetic spectrophotometric analyses of P680+ and Car+, and AT-band emission measurements were made after various durations of weak and strong light treatment of NH2OH/EDTA-PSII in the presence and absence of superoxide dismutase, or of PSII electron acceptors to suppress superoxide formation. Additionally, flash-induced variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a and the capabilities of the membranes of photooxidize Mn2+ (in the presence of H2O2) via a high-affinity site (Km approximately 180 nM) and to carry out the photoactivation of the Mn-cluster were determined.

A recollection of the development of the Kok-Joliot model for photosynthetic oxygen evolution.

Twenty-five years of period-four O2-flash yield oscillation are celebrated with a personal recollection of the development of the Kok-Joliot model for photosynthetic oxygen evolution.

Photoinhibition of hydroxylamine-extracted photosystem II membranes: studies of the mechanism.

The effects of photosystem II (PSII) exogenous electron donors and acceptors on the kinetics of weak light photoinhibition of NH2OH/EDTA-extracted spinach PSII membranes were examined. Under aerobic conditions, Mn2+ (approximately 1 Mn/reaction center; Km approximately 400 nM) inhibited photoinactivation and approximately 1 Mn/reaction center plus 100 microM NH2NH2 gave almost complete protection. In the absence of electron donors, strict anaerobiosis greatly inhibited photoinactivation even in the presence of an electron acceptor.

Photoinhibition of hydroxylamine-extracted photosystem II membranes: identification of the sites of photodamage.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses (g = 2 region) and optical spectrophotometric analyses of P680+ were made of NH2OH-extracted photosystem II (PSII) membranes after various durations of weak-light photoinhibition, in order to identify the sites of damage responsible for the observed kinetic components of the loss of electron transport [Blubaugh, D.J., & Cheniae, G.