A red-shifted chlorophyll

Science. 2010 Sep 10;329(5997):1318-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1191127. Epub 2010 Aug 19.

Abstract

Chlorophylls are essential for light-harvesting and energy transduction in photosynthesis. Four chemically distinct varieties have been known for the past 60 years. Here we report isolation of a fifth, which we designate chlorophyll f. Its in vitro absorption (706 nanometers) and fluorescence (722 nanometers) maxima are red-shifted compared to all other chlorophylls from oxygenic phototrophs. On the basis of the optical, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, we propose that chlorophyll f is [2-formyl]-chlorophyll a (C55H70O6N4Mg). This finding suggests that oxygenic photosynthesis can be extended further into the infrared region and may open associated bioenergy applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriochlorophylls / chemistry*
  • Bacteriochlorophylls / isolation & purification*
  • Cyanobacteria / chemistry*
  • Cyanobacteria / classification
  • Cyanobacteria / genetics
  • Cyanobacteria / isolation & purification
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Genes, rRNA
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Photosynthesis
  • Pigments, Biological / chemistry*
  • Pigments, Biological / isolation & purification*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Western Australia

Substances

  • Bacteriochlorophylls
  • Pigments, Biological
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • bacteriochlorophyll f