Podcasts about lh2

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.06.30.547267v1?rss=1 Authors: Zamal, M. Y., Venkataramana, C., Subramanyam, R. Abstract: In the phototrophic alphaproteobacteria, photosynthesis is performed by pigment-protein complexes, including the light-harvesting complexes known as LH1 and LH2. The photosystem also encompasses carotenoids to assist in well-functioning of photosynthesis. Most photosynthetic bacteria are exposed to various abiotic stresses, and here, the Rhodobacter (R.) alkalitolerans were extracted from the alkaline pond. We report the comparative study of photosynthetic apparatus of R. alkalitolerans in various light intensities in relation to this bacterium's high pH tolerance ability. We found that as the light intensity increased, the stability of photosystem complexes decreased in normal pH (npH pH 6.8{+/-}0.05) conditions, whereas in high pH (hpH pH 8.6{+/-}0.05) acclimation was observed. The content of bacteriochlorophyll a, absorbance spectra, and circular dichroism data shows that the integrity of photosystem complexes is less affected in hpH compared to npH conditions. Sucrose density and LP-BN of photosystem complexes also shows that LH2 is more affected in npH than hpH, whereas RC-LH1 monomer or dimer has shown interplay between monomer and dimer in hpH although the dimer and monomer both increased in npH. Additionally, the phosphatidylcholine (PC) levels have increased in hpH conditions. Moreover, qPCR data showed that the subunit -c of ATPase levels was overexpressed in hpH. Consequently, the P515 measurement shows that more ATP production is required in hpH, which dissipates the protons from the chromatophore lumen. This could be the reason the photosystem protein complex destabilized due to more lumen acidification. To maintain homeostasis in hpH, the antiporter NhaD expressed more than in the npH condition. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

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In Korea wurde der Grundstein für den weltgrößten Wasserstoffverflüssiger gelegt. Dies hat uns veranlasst einen Blick auf diesen Zustand des Wasserstoffs zu werfen und über seine Anwendungsfelder zu reden.

Thermal power generation is all about converting heat into rotational motion, and for grid scale generation that means steam turbines. Scaling factors matter in turbine efficiency, and General Electric has delivered a new record in single blade low pressure turbine technology with a 75-inch blade. It will be used in very large steam turbines to be installed in the British Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant. Liquid hydrogen is notoriously difficult to store and transport, both due to the extremely cold temperatures required, and the propensity of the tiny hydrogen molecule to diffuse through most barrier materials. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has commissioned the world's first bulk LH2 carrier, which will be used in a new green supply chain initiative to deliver coal derived hydrogen from Australia to Kobe Japan. Could this be the start of a new renaissance for coal, with a green twist? Battery electric aircraft are hobbled by very poor range performance with current battery technology. Could hybrid power plants bridge the gap between turboprops and pure electrics? Honeywell has developed a lightweight turbogenerator system that may give small regional airliners and vertical takeoff air taxis the range and reserve requirements needed to make electric flight a practical proposition. Access all episodes of https://www.engineering.tv/category/videos/this-week-in-engineering (This Week in Engineering) on https://www.engineering.tv/ (Engineering TV) along with all of our other series.

Clive Cachia and Josh Spry talk with host, Sandi Safro, about potential takeaways from LH2 from LNG, as well as the role that Australia may play as a hydrogen exporter.

Wie können große Mengen an Wasserstoff über den Erdball verteilt werden? Eine Möglichkeit ist sicher der Einsatz von Wasserstoff-Tankschiffen, die flüssigen oder gasförmigen Wasserstoff transportieren können. Wir werfen einen Blick auf die Technik und ihre Perspektiven.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.21.349431v1?rss=1 Authors: Gardiner, A. T., Naydenova, K., Hartmann, P. C., Nguyen-Phan, T. C., Russo, C. J., Sader, K., Hunter, C. N., Cogdell, R. J., Qian, P. Abstract: We report the 2.4 Angstrom resolution structure of the light harvesting 2 complex (LH2) from Marichromatium (Mch.) purpuratum determined by electron cryo-microscopy. The structure contains a heptameric ring that is unique among all known LH2 structures, explaining the unusual spectroscopic properties of this bacterial antenna complex. Two sets of distinct carotenoids are identified in the structure, and a network of energy transfer pathways from the carotenoids to bacteriochlorophyll a molecules is shown. The geometry imposed by the heptameric ring controls the resonant coupling of the long wavelength energy absorption band. Together, these details reveal key aspects of the assembly and oligomeric form of purple bacterial LH2 complexes that were previously inaccessible by any technique. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Quantum control spectroscopy denotes the combination of optical quantum coherent control with femtosecond spectroscopy. The molecular response to a photo induced process, controlled by shaped ultrashort light pulses, carries information about the system and the induced chemical reaction not obtainable by unshaped pulses. In this work quantum control spectroscopy is used to investigate the photochemical process of beta-carotene during its first few hundred femtoseconds, which are important in the photosynthesis of light harvesting complexes. A special class of shaped pulses, called pulse trains, are investigated. Pulse trains are obtained from Fourier limited pulses, by modulation with a sinusoidal phase mask $phi(omega) = a sin(bomega_0+c)$, leading to a sequence of three or more phase stabilized Gaussian shaped pulses in the time domain. The intensities of these pulses are defined by a, they are separated by equal interpulse distances b and have a distinct phase relation which is defined by c. In this work it will be shown that it is possible to draw a very unique relation between molecular properties and the molecular response to the electrical field in dependance of these parameters. In terms of quantum coherent control, sinusoidal modulated pulse trains have attracted special attention in the context of mode selectivity. In a series of experiments it was observed that pulse train excitation can suppress spectral features in the detection signal when the interpulse distance is adjusted to molecular characteristics like vibrational frequencies. Furthermore, in many control experiments aiming to steer a chemical reaction, the use of learning loops for field optimization leads to pulse shapes that could be reduced to sequences of pulses, comparable to the pulse trains introduced. Replacement of optimized light fields by appropriate adjusted pulse trains were successful in experiments controlling the energy flow in a light harvesting complex. Control could be obtained by variation of the phase parameter c, suggesting that the achieved effect was of coherent origin. The assumption that the carotene units in LH2 were responsible for the successful control, was the motivation for the presented work of quantum control spectroscopy of beta-carotene. Although many efforts have been made to understand the non-linear effects induced by pulse trains, the underlying mechanism is not yet clear. Neither the background of mode selectivity nor the mechanism of chemical reaction control could be deciphered satisfactorily. For spectroscopical investigations, however, the knowledge of the underlying process and its connection to the molecular response is inevitable and are analyzed in detail. Starting with a simple model of bound states in a diatomic molecule, the induced dynamics of the molecular system and the characteristics of the response field are analyzed. First phenomenological investigations of the pulse train induced wave packet dynamics show dependancies between the populations and coherences of the generated molecular state and the choice of the sinusoidal mask parameters. Further investigations imply a mechanism connecting the outcome of the control experiment with the pulse train parameters and the molecular properties which is confirmed by derivation of a formula based on time dependent perturbation theory. The proposed mechanism leads to results which are in accordance with many experimentally observed effects. It is found that pulse train excitation generates vibrational wave packets that can exhibit symmetric phase space structures. Comparable structures appear during long time evolution after excitation with Fourier limited pulses and are known as partial revival states. Experimentally observed effects, like annihilation of spectral signals, are attributed to temporal interference effects between phase shifted vibrational coherences of these symmetric phase space structures. Contribution of such temporal interference effects are found to be essential for the signal interpretation in the case of time limited detection periods in the femtosecond regime. From a detailed analysis rules are extracted which serve to predict and to interprete the outcome of quantum control experiments using sinusoidally modulated pulse trains. It is found that the degree of rotational symmetry of the generated phase space pattern is determined by the ratio of the classical oscillation period of a vibrational mode to the interpulse distance b. In contrast, at a fixed value of b, the variation of the phase parameter c causes an oscillatory exchange between phase shifted components of the generated phase space structures, leading to an oscillatory disturbance of the phase space symmetry. While the phase space symmetry induced by b leads to destructive interference of spectral signals, this effect can be partially removed by c. The resulting oscillations of the peak amplitudes with c reflect the symmetry of the b-generated phase space structures. In a next step the model is extended towards the description of complex biological systems. Investigated are environmental effects, the model expansion to polyatomic molecules and the influence of electronic coupling elements, leading to the participation of additional electronic states. Using the density matrix description, the influence on the pulse train mechanism of elastic and inelastic environmental processes is investigated. Limits are figured out, defining the scope of the extracted rules for the two mask parameters b and c in dissipative environment. Increasing the dimensionality of the model, it is found that the derived mechanism still holds in polyatomic molecules. In accordance with experimental results, it is possible to damp spectral signals of selective vibrational modes by the mentioned destructive interference effects, adapting the interpulse distance to participating modes. By combination of the effects of b and c it is even possible to selectively damp near resonant modes. To come closer to the description of beta-carotene, the model system is extended by an additional diabatically coupled electronic state. Now the spectroscopic response function after Fourier limited excitation, recording the evolution of the excited state population, comprises information exclusively of the reactive coupling modes. Thus, the electronic coupling process can be traced without disturbance of inreactive spectator modes by detection of the excited state population, acting as a window to coupling modes. Additionally it is shown, that the mechanism of pulse train excitation found for bound state potentials still holds in the presence of electronic coupling. The described interference effects appearing in the spectroscopical signals after pulse train excitation, show that a rethinking is required in the interpretation of pulse train control experiments. On the other hand, the different aspects of pulse train control offer a manifold of new applications in various fields of spectroscopy. Parallels to experiments, applying pulse trains under different conditions, like for example nonresonant excitation, lead to the assumption, that the introduced effects are more general. Pulse trains in spectroscopy may enhance the sensitivity and the selectivity of spectral features and could be applied to achieve higher contrast in coherent microscopy. By selective damping of near-resonant modes, application of pulse trains in combination with transient spectroscopy could provide access to the direct observation of dynamical processes. Furthermore, the characteristic response to parameter variations under pulse train excitation can serve to differentiate between vibrational and electronic origins of spectral features. It is this method, that is used in the present work to apply quantum control spectroscopy to the early steps of the photochemical process in beta-carotene, i.e. the energy loss channel due to quenching via a conical intersection. Based on experimental observations, by the described modular construction a model system for beta-carotene is proposed, comprising the key components of the induced photochemical energy transfer process during the first few hundred femtoseconds. The outcome of quantum control experiments of beta-carotene could be predicted and interpreted. By comparison with results of quantum control experiments on beta-carotene, performed in the group of M.~Motzkus (Heidelberg University), it is possible to verify the key assumptions made for the construction of the model system. Observed spectral features in dependance of the parameters b and c can be definitely assigned to vibrational coherences, indicating that a low frequency mode is responsible for the electronic coupling between the excited states S2 and S1 of beta-carotene. The achieved agreement between simulations and experimental results allow to conclude that the process of investigation is described well within the constructed beta-carotene model. The photochemical quenching process takes place on solely two excited states and no further electronic state plays a mentionable role.

The natural design of the photosystems of plants and photosynthetic bacteria using chlorophylls (Chls) or bacteriochlorophylls (BChls) as photoreceptors are robust. The basic principles of the biological system of light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) are studied with the use of natural and model sequences expressed in vivo in modified Rhodobacter (Rb) sphaeroides strains. Three aspects have been explored in the thesis: (1) BChl’s macrocycle-protein interactions, (2) BChl’s phytol-protein interactions underlying the structural and functional assembly of the pigment-protein complexes, and (3) LH2-lipid interactions and the role of these interactions in photosynthetic membrane morphogenesis. BChls’ macrocycle-protein interactions: Residues at the immediate BChl-B850/protein interface are found to have little effect on specifying the BChl-B850 array, and their light-harvesting activity in LH2. Nevertheless, these residues are important for the structural thermal stability. With the use of ‘rescue’ mutagenesis of the model BChl binding site, the hydrogen-bond between αSer -4 and the C131 keto carbonyl group of βBChl-B850 is shown to be a crucial motif for driving the assembly of model LH2 complex. Possibilities for residue modifications are limited in the β-subunits as compared to the α-subunits, which suggests that the two polypeptides have distinct roles in complex assembly. In the β-subunits, there are residues detected adjacent to the BChl-B850 site which are critical for the assembly of LH2. BChls’ phytol-protein interactions: Mutagenesis of residues closely interacting with the BChl-B850 phytol moiety result in the pronounced loss of BChl-B800 from LH2. Dephytylation of bound BChls within assembled LH2 to BChlides also resulted in the loss of BChl-B800 and destabilisation of LH2 structural assembly. Thus, the phytol chains were shown to be important for optimal pigment binding, especially for BChl-B800; which appears to be highly sensitive to the proper packing of the phytols. The pattern of phytol interactions with their surrounding environments are significantly different for α- and β-ligated (B)Chls. The phytols of β-ligated (B)Chls, as opposed to α-ligated (B)Chls, have ample and specific interactions with residues of the binding helix which may contribute to the tertiary interactions of helices. LH2-lipids interactions: Phospholipid determination of LH2 only expressing strains of Rb sphaeroides shows that the nonbilayer-forming phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is present in elevated amounts in the intracytoplasmic membranes and in the immediate vicinity of the LH2 complex. In combination with βGlu -20 residue and the carotenoid headgroup at the N-terminus of the transmembrane β-helices is shown to influence the composition of lipids surrounding LH2. Specific local interactions between LH2 protein and lipids not only promote LH2 protein stability but appear to modulate the morphology of intracytoplasmic membranes. Based on these findings, the presence of LH2-lipid specificity is postulated. The approach of using model αβ-sequences with simplified pigment binding sites allows us to study the underlying factors involved in LH2 assembly and function. This gives rise to a better understanding of the interplay between BChl, apoproteins and membrane lipids in the assembly of a highly efficient light-harvesting complex in its native lipid-environment.

The presented thesis has focused on the interactions between protein and pigments in photosynthetic membrane proteins, and the significance of these interactions in membrane protein assembly. The thesis has been divided into 3 Chapters, two are focused on the interactions between (bacterio)chlorophyll and proteins, and one is focused on the interactions, between carotenoid and proteins. In order to explore these interactions model proteins have been designed based on the peripheral antenna of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. In the model LH2 complexes, portions of the transmembrane helices, in particular, at the pigment binding sites, are replaced simplified alternating by alanine-leucine stretches. In the model sequence context, the effects of particular amino acids are amplified, and thus allow for convenient identification of potentially critical interaction motifs. This approach is employed to study the factors that contribute to pigment binding and pigment-protein assembly. To confirm the significance of thus identified motifs, they are subsequently also examined in the WT sequence context. In Chapter 3, it is shown that the residue at position -4 of the beta-subunit has a critical structural role for the proper organisation of the excitonically coupled BChl dimer in the antenna complex. In WT LH2, the residue at this position makes an H-bond to the C131 keto carbonyl group of one of the dimeric BChl molecules. The potential importance of such a H-bonding motif at the BChl/protein interface is demonstrated by use of the model LH2 in which the H-bond drives the folding and assembly of this transmembrane BChl-protein. The structural role of this residue at the BChl/protein interface is further demonstrated by the linear correlation between the LH2 spectral tuning and the residue-BChl contact. In Chapter 4, the aspect of diastereotopic ligation to the central Mg of BChl is explored, in particular, the consequences of BChl-ligation for folding and assembly of BChl-proteins. The analysis of H-bonding patterns in Chl-binding photosystem I and II showed that H-bonding at the (B)Chl-protein interface is structurally distinct depending on the ligation type. In essence, the C131 keto groups of (B)Chl ligated in the beta-position, contrary to those ligated in the betaposition, are frequently employed to associate Chl-helix units and thus involved in tertiary interactions. Disruption of such H-bonding interactions by site directed mutagenesis significantly altered the structural stability and assembly of the LH2 complex in the membrane. These findings suggest that H-bonding to -ligated bacteriochlorophyll is a key structural motif for the correct assembly of (bacterio)chlorophyll proteins. In Chapter 5, it is shown by mutational analysis of the carotenoid binding pocket of native and model LH2 complexes that the aromatic residues, in particular phenylalanine, are a key factor for carotenoid binding. The phenylalanine not only contributes to the stable Car binding but also lock the Car into a particular molecular configuration. The importance of aromatic residues in Car binding is further supported by statistical analyses of the plant photosystems which show that phenylalanine residues are frequently in the close vicinity of Car moelcules. This study provides, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental evidence for the central role of aromatic residues in carotenoid binding and functional specification.

This doctoral thesis presents new approaches for the characterisation of ultrafast energy flow in complex systems, based on concepts of coherent control. By initiating a photoreaction with femtosecond pulses whose temporal phase and amplitude are shaped in such a manner that specific molecular vibrations and states are addressed, the energy flow can be steered at will. The comparison between the ensuing energy flow patterns following shaped and unshaped excitation pulses constitutes a differential measurement of the function of the controlled vibrations and states within the photoreaction. Coherent control as a spectroscopic tool is first applied to biological systems, specifically the light harvesting complex LH2 from the photosynthetic purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila, and the isolated carotenoid donor of the same complex. The pump-probe method using shaped excitation pulses is shown to be successful for the first time in controlling the natural function of a biological system, namely the flow of excitation energy in the complex network of states in LH2. By means of a closed-loop optimisation of parametrised excitations, a bending mode in the carotenoid donor can be identified as being responsible for steering the energy flow. This bu vibrational mode couples the carotenoid S2-S1 states; its frequency is determined to be 160±25cm-1. Furthermore the deactivation of the carotenoid S2 state in LH2 and in solution is studied with pump-probe and pump-deplete-probe spectroscopy. Here it is shown that there exists an alternative singlet state S*T (1Bu-) involved in the deactivation process, though only in LH2. Its function as a precursor of ultrafast triplet population and as a donor for photosynthetic energy transfer is characterised with a novel evolutionary target analysis of conventional pump-probe spectra. Secondly, coherent control as a measurement technique is applied to another extremely complex system, in this case a material dominated by non-linear interactions with instantaneous dynamics: Propagation of femtosecond pulses in optical fibres that are only a few micrometers in diameter to generate a supercontinuum of optical frequencies. Here shaped pump pulses succeed in resolving for the first time the sequential steps leading to the enormous spectral broadening. Open-loop variations of precompression allows the evolution and fission of optical solitons to be followed, while closed-loop optimisations render observable the coupling of solitons with phase-matched visible frequencies. On atoms, finally, open-loop control of interfering pathways from the ground to the excited state by application of strongly modulated spectra seeks to establish a direct link between coherent control experiments and theory. The novel phenomenon of a Fresnel zone plate in the time domain is first developed in theory and then successfully realised in experiment.