Publications

• Location of chloride and its possible functions in oxygen-evolving photosystem II revealed by X-ray crystallography.

  Kawakami K., Umena Y., Kamiya N., Shen J.R.

  The chloride ion, Cl(-), is an essential cofactor for oxygen evolution of photosystem II (PSII) and is closely associated with the Mn(4)Ca cluster. Its detailed location and function have not been identified, however. We substituted Cl(-) with a bromide ion (Br(-)) or an iodide ion (I(-)) in PSII ... >> More

  The chloride ion, Cl(-), is an essential cofactor for oxygen evolution of photosystem II (PSII) and is closely associated with the Mn(4)Ca cluster. Its detailed location and function have not been identified, however. We substituted Cl(-) with a bromide ion (Br(-)) or an iodide ion (I(-)) in PSII and analyzed the crystal structures of PSII with Br(-) and I(-) substitutions. Substitution of Cl(-) with Br(-) did not inhibit oxygen evolution, whereas substitution of Cl(-) with I(-) completely inhibited oxygen evolution, indicating the efficient replacement of Cl(-) by I(-). PSII with Br(-) and I(-) substitutions were crystallized, and their structures were analyzed. The results showed that there are 2 anion-binding sites in each PSII monomer; they are located on 2 sides of the Mn(4)Ca cluster at equal distances from the metal cluster. Anion-binding site 1 is close to the main chain of D1-Glu-333, and site 2 is close to the main chain of CP43-Glu-354; these 2 residues are coordinated directly with the Mn(4)Ca cluster. In addition, site 1 is located in the entrance of a proton exit channel. These results indicate that these 2 Cl(-) anions are required to maintain the coordination structure of the Mn(4)Ca cluster as well as the proposed proton channel, thereby keeping the oxygen-evolving complex fully active. << Less

  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106:8567-8572(2009) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Crystal structure of oxygen-evolving photosystem II at a resolution of 1.9 A.

  Umena Y., Kawakami K., Shen J.R., Kamiya N.

  Photosystem II is the site of photosynthetic water oxidation and contains 20 subunits with a total molecular mass of 350 kDa. The structure of photosystem II has been reported at resolutions from 3.8 to 2.9 Å. These resolutions have provided much information on the arrangement of protein subunits ... >> More

  Photosystem II is the site of photosynthetic water oxidation and contains 20 subunits with a total molecular mass of 350 kDa. The structure of photosystem II has been reported at resolutions from 3.8 to 2.9 Å. These resolutions have provided much information on the arrangement of protein subunits and cofactors but are insufficient to reveal the detailed structure of the catalytic centre of water splitting. Here we report the crystal structure of photosystem II at a resolution of 1.9 Å. From our electron density map, we located all of the metal atoms of the Mn(4)CaO(5) cluster, together with all of their ligands. We found that five oxygen atoms served as oxo bridges linking the five metal atoms, and that four water molecules were bound to the Mn(4)CaO(5) cluster; some of them may therefore serve as substrates for dioxygen formation. We identified more than 1,300 water molecules in each photosystem II monomer. Some of them formed extensive hydrogen-bonding networks that may serve as channels for protons, water or oxygen molecules. The determination of the high-resolution structure of photosystem II will allow us to analyse and understand its functions in great detail. << Less

  Nature 473:55-60(2011) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Crystal structure of monomeric photosystem II from Thermosynechococcus elongatus at 3.6 A resolution.

  Broser M., Gabdulkhakov A., Kern J., Guskov A., Muh F., Saenger W., Zouni A.

  The membrane-embedded photosystem II core complex (PSIIcc) uses light energy to oxidize water in photosynthesis. Information about the spatial structure of PSIIcc obtained from x-ray crystallography was so far derived from homodimeric PSIIcc of thermophilic cyanobacteria. Here, we report the first ... >> More

  The membrane-embedded photosystem II core complex (PSIIcc) uses light energy to oxidize water in photosynthesis. Information about the spatial structure of PSIIcc obtained from x-ray crystallography was so far derived from homodimeric PSIIcc of thermophilic cyanobacteria. Here, we report the first crystallization and structural analysis of the monomeric form of PSIIcc with high oxygen evolution capacity, isolated from Thermosynechococcus elongatus. The crystals belong to the space group C222(1), contain one monomer per asymmetric unit, and diffract to a resolution of 3.6 A. The x-ray diffraction pattern of the PSIIcc-monomer crystals exhibit less anisotropy (dependence of resolution on crystal orientation) compared with crystals of dimeric PSIIcc, and the packing of the molecules within the unit cell is different. In the monomer, 19 protein subunits, 35 chlorophylls, two pheophytins, the non-heme iron, the primary plastoquinone Q(A), two heme groups, 11 beta-carotenes, 22 lipids, seven detergent molecules, and the Mn(4)Ca cluster of the water oxidizing complex could be assigned analogous to the dimer. Based on the new structural information, the roles of lipids and protein subunits in dimer formation of PSIIcc are discussed. Due to the lack of non-crystallographic symmetry and the orientation of the membrane normal of PSIIcc perpendicular ( approximately 87 degrees ) to the crystallographic b-axis, further information about the structure of the Mn(4)Ca cluster is expected to become available from orientation-dependent spectroscopy on this new crystal form. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 285:26255-26262(2010) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Crystal structure of oxygen-evolving photosystem II from Thermosynechococcus vulcanus at 3.7-A resolution.

  Kamiya N., Shen J.-R.

  Photosystem II (PSII) is a multisubunit membrane protein complex performing light-induced electron transfer and water-splitting reactions, leading to the formation of molecular oxygen. The first crystal structure of PSII from a thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus was reported ... >> More

  Photosystem II (PSII) is a multisubunit membrane protein complex performing light-induced electron transfer and water-splitting reactions, leading to the formation of molecular oxygen. The first crystal structure of PSII from a thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus was reported recently [Zouni, A., Witt, H. T., Kern, J., Fromme, P., Krauss, N., Saenger, W. & Orth, P. (2001) Nature 409, 739-743)] at 3.8-A resolution. To analyze the PSII structure in more detail, we have obtained the crystal structure of PSII from another thermophilic cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus vulcanus, at 3.7-A resolution. The present structure was built on the basis of the sequences of PSII large subunits D1, D2, CP47, and CP43; extrinsic 33- and 12-kDa proteins and cytochrome c550; and several low molecular mass subunits, among which the structure of the 12-kDa protein was not reported previously. This yielded much information concerning the molecular interactions within this large protein complex. We also show the arrangement of chlorophylls and cofactors, including two beta-carotenes recently identified in a region close to the reaction center, which provided important clues to the secondary electron transfer pathways around the reaction center. Furthermore, possible ligands for the Mn-cluster were determined. In particular, the C terminus of D1 polypeptide was shown to be connected to the Mn cluster directly. The structural information obtained here provides important insights into the mechanism of PSII reactions. << Less

  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100:98-103(2003) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Taking snapshots of photosynthetic water oxidation using femtosecond X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy.

  Kern J., Tran R., Alonso-Mori R., Koroidov S., Echols N., Hattne J., Ibrahim M., Gul S., Laksmono H., Sierra R.G., Gildea R.J., Han G., Hellmich J., Lassalle-Kaiser B., Chatterjee R., Brewster A.S., Stan C.A., Gloeckner C., Lampe A., DiFiore D., Milathianaki D., Fry A.R., Seibert M.M., Koglin J.E., Gallo E., Uhlig J., Sokaras D., Weng T.C., Zwart P.H., Skinner D.E., Bogan M.J., Messerschmidt M., Glatzel P., Williams G.J., Boutet S., Adams P.D., Zouni A., Messinger J., Sauter N.K., Bergmann U., Yano J., Yachandra V.K.

  The dioxygen we breathe is formed by light-induced oxidation of water in photosystem II. O2 formation takes place at a catalytic manganese cluster within milliseconds after the photosystem II reaction centre is excited by three single-turnover flashes. Here we present combined X-ray emission spect ... >> More

  The dioxygen we breathe is formed by light-induced oxidation of water in photosystem II. O2 formation takes place at a catalytic manganese cluster within milliseconds after the photosystem II reaction centre is excited by three single-turnover flashes. Here we present combined X-ray emission spectra and diffraction data of 2-flash (2F) and 3-flash (3F) photosystem II samples, and of a transient 3F' state (250 μs after the third flash), collected under functional conditions using an X-ray free electron laser. The spectra show that the initial O-O bond formation, coupled to Mn reduction, does not yet occur within 250 μs after the third flash. Diffraction data of all states studied exhibit an anomalous scattering signal from Mn but show no significant structural changes at the present resolution of 4.5 Å. This study represents the initial frames in a molecular movie of the structural changes during the catalytic reaction in photosystem II. << Less

  Nat. Commun. 5:4371-4371(2014) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Cyanobacterial photosystem II at 2.9-A resolution and the role of quinones, lipids, channels and chloride.

  Guskov A., Kern J., Gabdulkhakov A., Broser M., Zouni A., Saenger W.

  Photosystem II (PSII) is a large homodimeric protein-cofactor complex located in the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane that acts as light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase. The crystal structure of PSII from Thermosynechococcus elongatus at 2.9-A resolution allowed the unambiguous assignme ... >> More

  Photosystem II (PSII) is a large homodimeric protein-cofactor complex located in the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane that acts as light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase. The crystal structure of PSII from Thermosynechococcus elongatus at 2.9-A resolution allowed the unambiguous assignment of all 20 protein subunits and complete modeling of all 35 chlorophyll a molecules and 12 carotenoid molecules, 25 integral lipids and 1 chloride ion per monomer. The presence of a third plastoquinone Q(C) and a second plastoquinone-transfer channel, which were not observed before, suggests mechanisms for plastoquinol-plastoquinone exchange, and we calculated other possible water or dioxygen and proton channels. Putative oxygen positions obtained from a Xenon derivative indicate a role for lipids in oxygen diffusion to the cytoplasmic side of PSII. The chloride position suggests a role in proton-transfer reactions because it is bound through a putative water molecule to the Mn(4)Ca cluster at a distance of 6.5 A and is close to two possible proton channels. << Less

  Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 16:334-342(2009) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Structure of Sr-substituted photosystem II at 2.1 A resolution and its implications in the mechanism of water oxidation.

  Koua F.H., Umena Y., Kawakami K., Shen J.R.

  Oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II (PSII) is a tetra-manganese calcium penta-oxygenic cluster (Mn4CaO5) catalyzing light-induced water oxidation through several intermediate states (S-states) by a mechanism that is not fully understood. To elucidate the roles of Ca(2+) in this cluster and t ... >> More

  Oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II (PSII) is a tetra-manganese calcium penta-oxygenic cluster (Mn4CaO5) catalyzing light-induced water oxidation through several intermediate states (S-states) by a mechanism that is not fully understood. To elucidate the roles of Ca(2+) in this cluster and the possible location of water substrates in this process, we crystallized Sr(2+)-substituted PSII from Thermosynechococcus vulcanus, analyzed its crystal structure at a resolution of 2.1 Å, and compared it with the 1.9 Å structure of native PSII. Our analysis showed that the position of Sr was moved toward the outside of the cubane structure of the Mn4CaO5-cluster relative to that of Ca(2+), resulting in a general elongation of the bond distances between Sr and its surrounding atoms compared with the corresponding distances in the Ca-containing cluster. In particular, we identified an apparent elongation in the bond distance between Sr and one of the two terminal water ligands of Ca(2+), W3, whereas that of the Sr-W4 distance was not much changed. This result may contribute to the decrease of oxygen evolution upon Sr(2+)-substitution, and suggests a weak binding and rather mobile nature of this particular water molecule (W3), which in turn implies the possible involvement of this water molecule as a substrate in the O-O bond formation. In addition, the PsbY subunit, which was absent in the 1.9 Å structure of native PSII, was found in the Sr-PSII structure. << Less

  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110:3889-3894(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]