Low-temperature energy transfer in LHC-II trimers from the Chl a/b light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II.

Temperature dependence in electronic energy transfer steps within light-harvesting antenna trimers from photosystem II was investigated by studying Chl a pump-probe anisotropy decays at several wavelengths from 675 to 682 nm. The anisotropy lifetime is markedly sensitive to temperature at the longest wavelengths (680-682 nm), increasing by factors of 5 to 6 as the trimers are cooled from room temperature to 13 K. The temperature dependence is muted at 677 and 675 nm. This behavior is modeled using simulations of temperature-broadened Chl a absorption and fluorescence spectra in spectral overlap calculations of Förster energy transfer rates. In this model, the 680 nm anisotropy decays are dominated by uphill energy transfers from 680 nm Chl a pigments at the red edge of the LHC-II spectrum; the 675 nm anisotropy decays reflect a statistical average of uphill and downhill energy transfers from 676-nm pigments. The measured temperature dependence is consistent with essentially uncorrelated inhomogeneous broadening of donor and acceptor Chl a pigments.