Oxygen-Evolving Extracts from a Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp.

Abstract

Spheroplast membranes of a thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. have been treated with the detergent lauryldim ethylam ine oxide (LDAO). The resulting extracts show (1) light-induced O 2 evolution with artificial electron acceptors, (2) four-fold enhancement of the O 2 evolution relative to chlorophyll, (3) parallel increase of both the molar ratios of PS 2/C hl and cyt b 559 /Chl in the extract, (4) dissociation of the auxiliary pigment phycocyanin upon treatment with LDAO, but still tight association of allophycocyanin to the photosystem 2 preparation.