Energy loss of photoelectrons by interaction with image charge.

By measuring the photoelectron spectra of the Cu(001) and Cu(110) surfaces excited by tunable-laser photons of very low energy (4.50-4.95 eV), we have found that the photoelectron can lose energy through interaction with its image charge.

Interchange of the quantum states of confined excitons caused by radiative corrections in CuCl films.

The energy states of a particle confined in a narrow space are discrete and lined up in the order of n=1,2,3,...

Isotropic photonic gaps in a circular photonic crystal.

We investigated the optical properties of a circular photonic crystal (CPC) for which the distance between lattices was systematically distributed. The transmission spectra of CPC composed of alumina cylinders were examined in the frequency region from 0 to 20 GHz. We show that photonic gaps are obtained not only in CPCs but also in phase-shifted CPCs.

Observation of millimeter-wave radiation generated by the interaction between an electron beam and a photonic crystal.

We observed directional light emission in the millimeter-wave region when a high-energy (150 MeV) electron beam passes just above a photonic crystal made of polytetrafluoroethylene beads ( approximately 3.2 mm in diameter). The relation between the momentum and the energy of the emitted photons strongly suggests that the observed light is generated by the umklapp scattering process that changes the evanescent waves emitted by the electron beam into observable ones.

Impact of replacement of D1 C-terminal alanine with glycine on structure and function of photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex.

The C-terminal alanine 344 (Ala-344) in the D1 protein of photosystem II is conserved in all of the organisms performing oxygenic photosynthesis. A free alpha-COO(-) of Ala-344 has been proposed to be responsible for ligating the Mn cluster. Here, we constructed a mutant having D1 in which D1-Ala-344 was replaced with glycine (Gly) in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp.

Light-induced structural changes in a putative blue-light receptor with a novel FAD binding fold sensor of blue-light using FAD (BLUF); Slr1694 of synechocystis sp. PCC6803.

The sensor of blue-light using FAD (BLUF) domain is the flavin-binding fold categorized to a new class of blue-light sensing domain found in AppA from Rhodobacter sphaeroides and PAC from Euglena gracilis, but little is known concerning the mechanism of blue-light perception. An open reading frame slr1694 in a cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 encodes a protein possessing the BLUF domain.

Vibration of H atomic chains on Ni(110) measured by scanning tunneling microscope light emission spectroscopy.

We have measured the visible light spectrum emitted by hydrogen atoms adsorbed on an Ni(110) surface, excited by the tunneling current from the scanning tunneling microscope. The spectrum contains periodic fine structures, whose period corresponds to the vertical vibrational energy of the adsorbed H atom. This energy showed the expected isotope shift when H was replaced by deuterium, and further it depended on the H-atom chain length.

Stannaacetylene (RSn[triple bond]CR') showing carbene-like reaction mode.

Photolysis of diazomethylstannylene 2 (ArSn-C(N2)Si(i-Pr)3, Ar = C6H3-2,6-Tip2 (Tip = C6H2-2,4,6-(i-Pr)3)) generated formal stannaacetylene 1 as a reactive intermediate, which was evidenced by the formation of cyclic arylalkylstannylene 4 via an intramolecular carbene insertion to a CH bond of isopropyl groups. The structures of the compounds 2 and 4 were fully characterized by X-ray crystallography. Stannaacetylene 1 was directly observed by laser flash photolysis of 2; lambdamax = 355 nm, tau = 50 ms at room temperature.

Expression of photosynthesis-related genes and their regulation by light during somatic embryogenesis in Daucus carota.

To clarify the spatial and temporal pattern of gene expression for photosynthesis-associated proteins during somatic embryogenesis in Daucus carota L., the localization of mRNAs for three genes, rbcL, Lhcb and por, was examined in dark-grown and light-irradiated somatic embryos by in situ hybridization. The three mRNAs were expressed in common in the mesophyll precursor cells of light-irradiated embryos at the late torpedo and plantlet stages, but characteristic expression patterns of each photosynthesis-related gene were also observed.

Oxidation of the Mn cluster induces structural changes of NO3- functionally bound to the Cl- site in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II.

Cl(-) is an indispensable cofactor for photosynthetic O(2) evolution and is functionally replaced by NO(3)(-). Structural changes of an isotopically labeled NO(3)(-) ion, induced by the oxidation of the Mn cluster (S(1)-to-S(2)), were detected by FTIR spectroscopy. NO(3)(-)-substituted photosystem II core particles showed (14)N(16)O(3)(-)/(15)N(16)O(3)(-) and (14)N(16)O(3)(-)/(14)N(18)O(3)(-) isotopic bands in the S(2)/S(1) spectra with markedly high signal/noise ratio.

Null mutation of HvrA compensates for loss of an essential relA/spoT-like gene in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

We report that a single relA/spoT-like gene exists on the Rhodobacter capsulatus chromosome, and its mutational loss is lethal. This gene could be mutated only under a mutational background of a null mutation in the nucleoid protein HvrA. This result suggests that there may be a direct link between HvrA-regulated promoters and the ppGpp-related stringent response.

Changes of low-frequency vibrational modes induced by universal 15N- and 13C-isotope labeling in S2/S1 FTIR difference spectrum of oxygen-evolving complex.

The effects of universal (15)N- and (13)C-isotope labeling on the low- (650-350 cm(-1)) and mid-frequency (1800-1200 cm(-1)) S(2)/S(1) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectrum of the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) were investigated in histidine-tagged photosystem (PS) II core particles from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. In the mid-frequency region, the amide II modes were predominantly affected by (15)N-labeling, whereas, in addition to the amide II, the amide I and carboxylate modes were markedly affected by (13)C-labeling.

Preparation and structures of novel silamacrocyclic compounds: silacalix[4]quinone and silacalix[4]hydroquinone octamethyl ether.

X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that novel silamacrocyclic compounds, 2,8,14,20-tetrasilacalix[4]quinone and 2,8,14,20-tetrasilacalix[4]hydroquinone octamethyl ether, adopted 1,3-alternate structures in the solid state.

Functional and structural study on chelator-induced suppression of S2/S1 FTIR spectrum in photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex.

Chelating agents have been shown to induce characteristic changes in the light-minus-dark Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectrum for the S(2)/S(1) difference in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). Addition of various ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-type chelators, such as EDTA, O,O'-bis(2-aminoethyl)ethyleneglycol-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (CyDTA), or N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine-N,N',N'-triacetic acid (HEDTA), to Ca(2+)-depleted PS II membranes resulted in the suppression of typical S(2)/S(1) vibrational features, including the symmetric (1365(+)/1404(-) cm(-1)) and the asymmetric (1587(+)/1566(-) cm(-1)) carboxylate stretching vibrations, as well as the amide I and II modes of the backbone polypeptides. In contrast, the addition of ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (EDDA) showed less inhibitory effects.

Nonlineal relationship between g=2 doublet and multiline signals in Ca(2+)-depleted Photosystem II.

Illuminating of the Ca(2+)-depleted PS II in the S(2) state for a short period induced the doublet signal at g=2 with concomitant diminution of the multiline signal, both in the presence and absence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU). In the absence of DCMU, the doublet signal decayed (t(1/2) approximately 7 min) during subsequent dark incubation at 273 K and the multiline signal was regenerated to the original amplitude with the same kinetics of the doublet decay. In the presence of DCMU, the doublet signal decayed much faster (t(1/2) approximately 1 min) by charge recombination with Q(A)(-), while the time course of the multiline recovery was inherently identical with that observed in the absence of DCMU.

Probing single quantum dots by micro-photoluminescence.

Using micro-photoluminescence, emissions from single CdSe quantum dots were observed from the cleaved (110) facets of ZnSe/CdSe/ZnSe heterostructures grown on GaAs (001) substrates. The emission intensity of a single quantum dot was linearly proportional to the excitation intensity, demonstrating excitonic features. Emissions from these single quantum dots were found to polarize within the (001) plane, providing information on the shapes of the quantum dots.

Examination of morphological changes in the first formed protoxylem in Arabidopsis seedlings.

We examined morphological changes in the first-formed protoxylem vessels in Arabidopsis seedlings. Between 2.5 and 8 days after imbibition, mean hypocotyl and root length increased 1.

Effect of micelle structure on the spectral properties of poly(dimethylsilylene).

The absorption and fluorescence spectral features of an intractable poly(silylene), poly(dimethylsilylene) (1), in aqueous micelles--attributable to an elongated transoid backbone conformation encompassed by three micelles--are discussed.

Sugar-induced adventitious roots in Arabidopsis seedlings.

The effects of sugars on root growth and on development of adventitious roots were analyzed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Seeds were sown on agar plates containing 0.0-5.

Vascular tissue in the stem and roots of woody plants can conduct light.

The role of vascular tissue in conducting light was analysed in 21 species of woody plants. Vessels, fibres (both xylem and phloem fibres) and tracheids in woody plants are shown to conduct light efficiently along the axial direction of both stems and roots, via their lumina (vessels) or cell walls (fibres and tracheids). Other components, such as sieve tubes and parenchyma cells, are not efficient axial light conductors.

Chloride cofactor in the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex studied by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, using midfrequency S2/S1 FTIR difference spectra, has been applied to studies of chloride cofactor in the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) to determine the effects of Cl(-) depletion and monovalent anion substitution. Cl(-) depletion resulted in the disappearance of a large part of the amide I and II vibrational modes, and induced characteristic modification in the features of the stretching modes of the carboxylate ligands of the Mn cluster. The normal spectral features were largely restored by replenishment of Cl(-) except for some changes in amide bands.

Light-intensity-dependent expression of Lhc gene family encoding light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b proteins of photosystem II in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Excessive light conditions repressed the levels of mRNAs accumulation of multiple Lhc genes encoding light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b (LHC) proteins of photosystem (PS)II in the unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The light intensity required for the repression tended to decrease with lowering temperature or CO(2) concentration. The responses of six LhcII genes encoding the major LHC (LHCII) proteins and two genes (Lhcb4 and Lhcb5) encoding the minor LHC proteins of PSII (CP29 and CP26) were similar.

Characteristic changes of the S2/S1 difference FTIR spectrum induced by Ca2+ depletion and metal cation substitution in the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex.

Effects of Ca2+ depletion and substitution with other metal cations on the structure of the protein matrices of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) and their corresponding changes upon the S1 to S2 transition were examined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Ca2+ depletion and further supplementation with Li+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, or Sr2+ did not significantly affect the typical vibrational features in the double difference S2/S1 spectrum, including the symmetric [1365(+)/1404(-) cm(-1)] and the asymmetric [1587(+)/1566(-) cm(-1)] stretching modes of the carboxylate ligand and the amide I and II modes of the backbone polypeptides. On the other hand, supplementation with K+, Rb+, Cs+, or Ba2+ significantly modified the S2/S1 spectrum, in which the carboxylate modes disappeared and the amide I and II modes were modified.

Chelator-induced disappearance of carboxylate stretching vibrational modes in S2/S1 FTIR spectrum in oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been applied toward studies of photosynthetic oxygen evolution, especially on the effects of Ca(2+) depletion and chelating agents using S(2)/S(1) FTIR difference spectrum in the mid-IR region. Ca(2+) depletion showed little influences on the symmetric (1365/1404 cm(-1)) and the asymmetric (1587/1562 cm(-1)) stretching bands of a carboxylate, which are typical of the S(2)/S(1) vibrational features induced by the oxidation of the Mn-cluster; however, minor changes were observed in the amide regions. Addition of a chelating agent (EDTA or EGTA) to the Ca(2+)-depleted membranes resulted in the disappearance of the carboxylate bands concurrent with large modifications of the amide bands with an apparent K(d) value of approximately 0.

Ca(2+) function in photosynthetic oxygen evolution studied by alkali metal cations substitution.

Effects of adding monovalent alkali metal cations to Ca(2+)-depleted photosystem (PS)II membranes on the biochemical and spectroscopic properties of the oxygen-evolving complex were studied. The Ca(2+)-dependent oxygen evolution was competitively inhibited by K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+), the ionic radii of which are larger than the radius of Ca(2+) but not inhibited significantly by Li(+) and Na(+), the ionic radii of which are smaller than that of Ca(2+). Ca(2+)-depleted membranes without metal cation supplementation showed normal S(2) multiline electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal and an S(2)Q(A)(-) thermoluminescence (TL) band with a normal peak temperature after illumination under conditions for single turnover of PSII.