Speaker
Prof.
Jörg Pieper
(University of Tartu)
Description
The effect of dehydration on the lamellar spacing of photosystem II (PS II) membrane fragments from spinach has been investigated using neutron membrane diffraction at room temperature. The diffraction data reveal a repeat distance D of about 129 Å at 90% r.h. which shifts to about 103.7±2.5 Å at 44% r.h.. Within experimental error, the latter repeat distance remains almost the same at hydration levels below 44% r.h. indicating that most of the hydration water is removed. This result is consistent with the earlier finding that hydration-induced conformational protein motions in PS II membrane fragments are observed above 44% r.h. and correlated with the onset electron transfer in PS II. Furthermore, we have used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to study the structure of photosynthetic complexes in buffer solution at room temperature.
Primary author
Prof.
Jörg Pieper
(University of Tartu)
