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Shortcut of the photosynthetic electron transfer in a mutant lacking the reaction center‐bound cytochrome subunit by gene disruption in a purple bacterium, Rubrivivax gelatinosus
Author(s) -
Nagashima Kenji V.P.,
Shimada Keizo,
Matsuura Katsumi
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(96)00382-1
Subject(s) - photosynthetic reaction centre , cytochrome , mutant , protein subunit , mutagenesis , purple bacteria , electron transport chain , cytochrome c , chemistry , bacteria , cytochrome b , photosynthesis , electron transfer , wild type , strain (injury) , biochemistry , cytochrome c1 , cytochrome b6f complex , biology , coenzyme q – cytochrome c reductase , gene , photochemistry , genetics , enzyme , anatomy , mitochondrial dna , mitochondrion
A mutant lacking the reaction center‐bound cytochrome subunit was constructed in a purple photosynthetic bacterium, Rubrivivax gelatinosus IL144, by inactivation of the cytochrome gene. Photosynthetic growth of the C244 mutant strain occurred at approximately half the rate of the wild‐type strain. Although mutagenesis resulted in a greatly reduced amount of membrane‐bound cytochromes c , illumination induced cyclic electron transfer and the generation of membrane potential in the mutant as observed in the wild‐type strain. These findings are consistent with previous observations that the cytochrome subunit is absent in the reaction center complex in some species of purple bacteria and that the biochemical removal of the subunit did not significantly affect the in vitro electron transfer from the soluble cytochrome c to the photosynthetic reaction center. These results suggest that the cytochrome subunit in purple bacteria is not essential for photosynthetic electron transfer and growth, even in those species generally containing the subunit.