The involvement of lipids in light-induced charge separation in the reaction center of photosystem II.

Extraction of PS II particles with 50 mM cholate and 1 M NaCl releases several proteins (33-, 23-, 17- and 13 kDa) and lipids from the thylakoid membrane which are essential for O2 evolution, dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) reduction and for stable charge separation between P680(+) and QA (-). This work correlates the results on the loss of steady-state rates for O2 evolution and PS II mediated DCIP photo-reduction with flash absorption changes directly monitoring the reaction center charge separation at 830 nm due to P680(+), the chlorophyll a donor. Reconstitution of the extracted lipids to the depleted membrane restores the ability to photo-oxidize P680 reversibly and to reduce DCIP, while stimulating O2 evolution minimally. Addition of the extracted proteins of masses 33-, 23- and 17- kDa produces no further stimulation of DCIP reduction in the presence of an exogenous donor like DPC, but does enhance this rate in the absence of exogenous donors while also stimulating O2 evolution. The proteins alone in the absence of lipids have little influence on charge separation in the reaction center. Thus lipids are essential for stable charge separation within the reaction center, involving formation of P680(+) and QA (-).