Augmenting light coverage for photosynthesis through YFP-enhanced charge separation at the Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction centre

Katie J. Grayson, Kaitlyn M. Faries, Xia Huang, Pu Qian, Preston Dilbeck, Elizabeth C. Martin, Andrew Hitchcock, Cvetelin Vasilev, Jonathan M. Yuen, Dariusz M. Niedzwiedzki, Graham J. Leggett, Dewey Holten, Christine Kirmaier and C. Neil Hunter ()
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Katie J. Grayson: University of Sheffield
Kaitlyn M. Faries: Washington University
Xia Huang: University of Sheffield
Pu Qian: University of Sheffield
Preston Dilbeck: Washington University
Elizabeth C. Martin: University of Sheffield
Andrew Hitchcock: University of Sheffield
Cvetelin Vasilev: University of Sheffield
Jonathan M. Yuen: Washington University
Dariusz M. Niedzwiedzki: Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center, Washington University
Graham J. Leggett: University of Sheffield, Brook Hill
Dewey Holten: Washington University
Christine Kirmaier: Washington University
C. Neil Hunter: University of Sheffield

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Photosynthesis uses a limited range of the solar spectrum, so enhancing spectral coverage could improve the efficiency of light capture. Here, we show that a hybrid reaction centre (RC)/yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) complex accelerates photosynthetic growth in the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The structure of the RC/YFP-light-harvesting 1 (LH1) complex shows the position of YFP attachment to the RC-H subunit, on the cytoplasmic side of the RC complex. Fluorescence lifetime microscopy of whole cells and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy of purified RC/YFP complexes show that the YFP–RC intermolecular distance and spectral overlap between the emission of YFP and the visible-region (QX) absorption bands of the RC allow energy transfer via a Förster mechanism, with an efficiency of 40±10%. This proof-of-principle study demonstrates the feasibility of increasing spectral coverage for harvesting light using non-native genetically-encoded light-absorbers, thereby augmenting energy transfer and trapping in photosynthesis.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13972

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