Kinetics of photoinhibition in hydroxylamine-extracted photosystem II membranes: relevance to photoactivation and sites of electron donation

Abstract

Kinetic analyses were made of the effects of weak-light photoinhibition on the capacity of NH2OH-extracted photosystem II membranes to photooxidize the exogenous electron donors Mn2+, diphenylcarbazide, and I- or to assemble functional water-oxidizing complexes during photoactivation. The loss of capacity for photooxidation of the donors showed two first-order components (half-times of 2-3 min and 1-4 h) with relative amplitudes dependent on the donor, suggesting two photodamageable sites of electron donation (sites 1 and 2, respectively), a conclusion confirmed by analyses of velocity curves of electron donation by each donor. All of the donors appear to be oxidized preferentially by site 1 both at saturating and at limiting light intensity; however, the contribution by site 2 was nearly comparable in saturating light. Loss of photoactivation also exhibited biphasic kinetics, with components having half-times of approximately 0.8 and 3.2 min. The major component (t1/2 = 3.2 min) corresponded to loss of site 1; essentially no photoactivation was observed after its loss. From these and other analyses, we conclude (1) the relative contributions of site 1 and site 2 to the photooxidation of various exogenous electron donors is determined largely by the rates of equilibration of the donors with the two sites, and (2) only site 1 contributes to photoactivation of the water-oxidizing complex. Site 1 is attributed to tyrosine Z of the reaction center's D1 polypeptide. The molecular identity of site 2 is unknown but may be tyrosine D of the D2 polypeptide.