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Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0
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Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 6499

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alberto Mezzetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, LRS, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
Interests: time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy; molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis; flavonoid photochemistry; interaction between biomolecules and silica surfaces; photoreceptors; role of water molecules and hydration layers in biological (macro)molecules; fluorescence spectroscopy; organic solvent–organic solute interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences is dedicated to articles investigating the mechanisms, at an atomic or molecular scale, of photosynthetic reactions in natural and artificial systems. This issue is timely, given the recent tremendous scientific breakthroughs toward the complete understanding of the mechanisms of several photosynthetic proteins, and the new developments of photocatalytic devices capable of performing water oxidation and CO2 reduction. These concern all the aspects of natural and artificial photosynthesis: light harvesting, photoprotection, charge separation, proton-coupled electron transfer reactions, catalytic mechanisms, dark reactions, assembly/synthesis of natural or artificial photosynthetic systems, and physicochemical properties of key pigments or cofactors. This Special Issue places emphasis on reaction mechanisms from a chemical/physicochemical point of view, but biochemical/biological studies focused on the molecular mechanisms of enzymes (or more complex systems such as membranes) involved in natural photosynthesis are welcome. Similarly, along with studies on synthetic molecular assemblies for artificial photosynthesis, those detailing more complete devices or materials performing artificial photosynthesis are also welcome, provided that they focus on the molecular details of the reaction mechanism.

Both experimental and theoretical manuscripts will be considered, as will all efforts toward an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis (e.g., spectroscopic studies, site-directed mutagenesis studies, synthesis and characterization of photocatalytic molecules/supramolecular assemblies/materials, biochemical studies).

Research papers, reviews, and feature/perspective articles are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Mezzetti
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photosystem I
  • photosystem II
  • light harvesting
  • bacterial photosynthesis
  • cytochrome b6f
  • charge separation
  • oxygen evolution
  • CO2 reduction
  • manganese cluster
  • photosynthetic reaction center
  • photoprotection

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1188 KiB  
Article
Potential Role of Phytochromes A and B and Cryptochrome 1 in the Adaptation of Solanum lycopersicum to UV-B Radiation
by Anna Abramova, Mikhail Vereshchagin, Leonid Kulkov, Vladimir D. Kreslavski, Vladimir V. Kuznetsov and Pavel Pashkovskiy
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(17), 13142; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241713142 - 24 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1042
Abstract
UV-B causes both damage to the photosynthetic apparatus (PA) and the activation of specific mechanisms that protect the PA from excess energy and trigger a cascade of regulatory interactions with different photoreceptors, including phytochromes (PHYs) and cryptochromes (CRYs). However, the role of photoreceptors [...] Read more.
UV-B causes both damage to the photosynthetic apparatus (PA) and the activation of specific mechanisms that protect the PA from excess energy and trigger a cascade of regulatory interactions with different photoreceptors, including phytochromes (PHYs) and cryptochromes (CRYs). However, the role of photoreceptors in plants’ responses to UV-B radiation remains undiscovered. This study explores some of these responses using tomato photoreceptor mutants (phya, phyb1, phyab2, cry1). The effects of UV-B exposure (12.3 µmol (photons) m−2 s−1) on photosynthetic rates and PSII photochemical activity, the contents of photosynthetic and UV-absorbing pigments and anthocyanins, and the nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity (TEAC) were studied. The expression of key light-signaling genes, including UV-B signaling and genes associated with the biosynthesis of chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and flavonoids, was also determined. Under UV-B, phyab2 and cry1 mutants demonstrated a reduction in the PSII effective quantum yield and photosynthetic rate, as well as a reduced value of TEAC. At the same time, UV-B irradiation led to a noticeable decrease in the expression of the ultraviolet-B receptor (UVR8), repressor of UV-B photomorphogenesis 2 (RUP2), cullin 4 (CUL4), anthocyanidin synthase (ANT), phenylalanine ammonia-lease (PAL), and phytochrome B2 (PHYB2) genes in phyab2 and RUP2, CUL4, ANT, PAL, and elongated hypocotyl 5 (HY5) genes in the cry1 mutant. The results indicate the mutual regulation of UVR8, PHYB2, and CRY1 photoreceptors, but not PHYB1 and PHYA, in the process of forming a response to UV-B irradiation in tomato. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0)
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14 pages, 4036 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Flash-Induced Fluorescence Wave Phenomenon in the Coral Endosymbiont Algae, Symbiodiniaceae
by Sabit Mohammad Aslam, Imre Vass and Milán Szabó
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8712; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24108712 - 13 May 2023
Viewed by 1284
Abstract
The dinoflagellate algae, Symbiodiniaceae, are significant symbiotic partners of corals due to their photosynthetic capacity. The photosynthetic processes of the microalgae consist of linear electron transport, which provides the energetic balance of ATP and NADPH production for CO2 fixation, and alternative electron [...] Read more.
The dinoflagellate algae, Symbiodiniaceae, are significant symbiotic partners of corals due to their photosynthetic capacity. The photosynthetic processes of the microalgae consist of linear electron transport, which provides the energetic balance of ATP and NADPH production for CO2 fixation, and alternative electron transport pathways, including cyclic electron flow, which ensures the elevated ATP requirements under stress conditions. Flash-induced chlorophyll fluorescence relaxation is a non-invasive tool to assess the various electron transport pathways. A special case of fluorescence relaxation, the so-called wave phenomenon, was found to be associated with the activity of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NDH) in microalgae. We showed previously that the wave phenomenon existed in Symbiodiniaceae under acute heat stress and microaerobic conditions, however, the electron transport processes related to the wave phenomenon remained unknown. In this work, using various inhibitors, we show that (i) the linear electron transport has a crucial role in the formation of the wave, (ii) the inhibition of the donor side of Photosystem II did not induce the wave, whereas inhibition of the Calvin–Benson cycle accelerated it, (iii) the wave phenomenon was related to the operation of type II NDH (NDH-2). We therefore propose that the wave phenomenon is an important marker of the regulation of electron transport in Symbiodiniaceae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0)
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18 pages, 2240 KiB  
Article
Nanodiamond Particles Reduce Oxidative Stress Induced by Methyl Viologen and High Light in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
by Taras K. Antal, Alena A. Volgusheva, Adil A. Baizhumanov, Galina P. Kukarskikh, Alessio Mezzi, Daniela Caschera, Gabriele Ciasca and Maya D. Lambreva
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5615; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24065615 - 15 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1155
Abstract
Widely used in biomedical and bioanalytical applications, the detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) are generally considered to be biocompatible and non-toxic to a wide range of eukaryotic cells. Due to their high susceptibility to chemical modifications, surface functionalisation is often used to tune the biocompatibility [...] Read more.
Widely used in biomedical and bioanalytical applications, the detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) are generally considered to be biocompatible and non-toxic to a wide range of eukaryotic cells. Due to their high susceptibility to chemical modifications, surface functionalisation is often used to tune the biocompatibility and antioxidant activity of the NDs. The response of photosynthetic microorganisms to redox-active NDs is still poorly understood and is the focus of the present study. The green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was used to assess the potential phytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of NDs hosting hydroxyl functional groups at concentrations of 5–80 μg NDs/mL. The photosynthetic capacity of microalgae was assessed by measuring the maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry and the light-saturated oxygen evolution rate, while oxidative stress was assessed by lipid peroxidation and ferric-reducing antioxidant capacity. We demonstrated that hydroxylated NDs might reduce cellular levels of oxidative stress, protect PSII photochemistry and facilitate the PSII repair under methyl viologen and high light associated stress conditions. Factors involved in this protection may include the low phytotoxicity of hydroxylated NDs in microalgae and their ability to accumulate in cells and scavenge reactive oxygen species. Our findings could pave the way for using hydroxylated NDs as antioxidants to improve cellular stability in algae-based biotechnological applications or semi-artificial photosynthetic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0)
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14 pages, 3150 KiB  
Article
Identification of a Ubiquinone–Ubiquinol Quinhydrone Complex in Bacterial Photosynthetic Membranes and Isolated Reaction Centers by Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy
by Alberto Mezzetti, Jean-François Paul and Winfried Leibl
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5233; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24065233 - 09 Mar 2023
Viewed by 972
Abstract
Ubiquinone redox chemistry is of fundamental importance in biochemistry, notably in bioenergetics. The bi-electronic reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol has been widely studied, including by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy, in several systems. In this paper, we have recorded static and time-resolved [...] Read more.
Ubiquinone redox chemistry is of fundamental importance in biochemistry, notably in bioenergetics. The bi-electronic reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol has been widely studied, including by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy, in several systems. In this paper, we have recorded static and time-resolved FTIR difference spectra reflecting light-induced ubiquinone reduction to ubiquinol in bacterial photosynthetic membranes and in detergent-isolated photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers. We found compelling evidence that in both systems under strong light illumination—and also in detergent-isolated reaction centers after two saturating flashes—a ubiquinone–ubiquinol charge-transfer quinhydrone complex, characterized by a characteristic band at ~1565 cm−1, can be formed. Quantum chemistry calculations confirmed that such a band is due to formation of a quinhydrone complex. We propose that the formation of such a complex takes place when Q and QH2 are forced, by spatial constraints, to share a common limited space as, for instance, in detergent micelles, or when an incoming quinone from the pool meets, in the channel for quinone/quinol exchange at the QB site, a quinol coming out. This latter situation can take place both in isolated and membrane bound reaction centers Possible consequences of the formation of this charge-transfer complex under physiological conditions are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0)
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11 pages, 1623 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Rate-Limiting Steps in the Dark-To-Light Transitions of Closed Photosystem II: Temperature Dependence and Invariance of Waiting Times during Multiple Light Reactions
by Melinda Magyar, Gábor Sipka, Wenhui Han, Xingyue Li, Guangye Han, Jian-Ren Shen, Petar H. Lambrev and Győző Garab
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 94; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24010094 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1433
Abstract
Rate-limiting steps in the dark-to-light transition of Photosystem II (PSII) were discovered by measuring the variable chlorophyll-a fluorescence transients elicited by single-turnover saturating flashes (STSFs). It was shown that in diuron-treated samples: (i) the first STSF, despite fully reducing the QA [...] Read more.
Rate-limiting steps in the dark-to-light transition of Photosystem II (PSII) were discovered by measuring the variable chlorophyll-a fluorescence transients elicited by single-turnover saturating flashes (STSFs). It was shown that in diuron-treated samples: (i) the first STSF, despite fully reducing the QA quinone acceptor molecule, generated only an F1(<Fm) fluorescence level; (ii) to produce the maximum (Fm) level, additional excitations were required, which, however, (iii) were effective only with sufficiently long Δτ waiting times between consecutive STSFs. Detailed studies revealed the gradual formation of the light-adapted charge-separated state, PSIIL. The data presented here substantiate this assignment: (i) the Δτ1/2 half-increment rise (or half-waiting) times of the diuron-treated isolated PSII core complexes (CCs) of Thermostichus vulcanus and spinach thylakoid membranes displayed similar temperature dependences between 5 and –80 °C, with substantially increased values at low temperatures; (ii) the Δτ1/2 values in PSII CC were essentially invariant on the Fk−to-Fk+1 (k = 1–4) increments both at 5 and at −80 °C, indicating the involvement of the same physical mechanism during the light-adaptation process of PSIIL. These data are in harmony with the earlier proposed role of dielectric relaxation processes in the formation of the light-adapted charge-separated state and in the variable chlorophyll-a fluorescence of PSII. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 2.0)
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