Open AccessDirect observation of tiers in the energy landscape of a chromoprotein: A single-molecule study
Author(s) -
Clemens Hofmann,
Thijs J. Aartsma,
Hartmut Michel,
Jürgen Köhler
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2533896100
Subject(s) - chromophore , molecule , energy landscape , chemical physics , function (biology) , energy (signal processing) , chemistry , biological system , physics , biology , photochemistry , evolutionary biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Single-molecule spectroscopic techniques were applied to individual pigments embedded in a chromoprotein. A sensitive tool to monitor structural fluctuations of the protein backbone in the local environment of the chromophore is provided by recording the changes of the spectral positions of the pigment absorptions as a function of time. The data provide information about the organization of the energy landscape of the protein in tiers that can be characterized by an average barrier height. Additionally, a correlation between the average barrier height within a distinct tier and the time scale of the structural fluctuations is observed.