The Position of Carotene in the D-l/D-2 Sub-Core Complex of Photosystem II

When the sub-core complex of photosystem II, D1/D2, is irradiated at 436 or 415 nm (absorption by chlorophyll and pheophytin and ß-carotene) or 540 nm (absorption primarily by pheophytin), the low temperature fluorescence spectrum has two maxima, at 685 and 674 nm. This shows the existence of at least two different fluorescent forms of chlorophyll (chlorophyll a and perhaps pheophytin a). When carotene is irradiated at 485 nm (absorption primarily by ß-carotene), only fluorescence at 685 nm is observed: this indicates that carotene is transferring energy to only the long-wavelength form of chlorophyll in the D1/D2 sub-core complex. The band of carotene (at 485 nm) does not appear in the fluorescence excitation spectrum, measured at 674 nm. The position of the carotene molecule relative to each of the fluorescent forms of chlorophyll was determined from the excitation spectra of each of the fluorescence bands.