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Trap-Limited Charge Separation Kinetics in Higher Plant Photosystem I Complexes

Chavdar Slavov ^*, Matteo Ballottari , Tomas Morosinotto , Roberto Bassi  and Alfred R. Holzwarth ^*

^* Max-Planck-Institut für Bioanorganische Chemie, Mülheim a. d. Ruhr, Germany; Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Università di Verona, I-37134 Verona, Italy; and Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Prof. Alfred R. Holzwarth, Tel.: 49-208-306-3571; Fax: 49-208-306-3951; E-mail: holzwarth{at}mpi-muelheim.mpg.de.

Time-resolved fluorescence measurements were performed on isolated core and intact Photosystem I (PS I) particles and stroma membranes from Arabidopsis thaliana to characterize the type of energy-trapping kinetics in higher plant PS I. Target analysis confirms the previously proposed "charge recombination" model. No bottleneck in the energy flow from the bulk antenna compartments to the reaction center has been found. For both particles a trap-limited kinetics is realized, with an apparent charge separation lifetime of 6 ps. No red chlorophylls (Chls) are found in the PS I-core complex from A. thaliana. Rather, the observed red-shifted fluorescence (700–710 nm range) originates from the reaction center. In contrast, two red Chl compartments, located in the peripheral light-harvesting complexes, are resolved in the intact PS I particles (decay lifetimes 33 and 95 ps, respectively). These two red states have been attributed to the two red states found in Lhca 3 and Lhca 4, respectively. The influence of the red Chls on the slowing of the overall trapping kinetics in the intact PS I complex is estimated to be approximately four times larger than the effect of the bulk antenna enlargement.