Isolation and characterization of photosystem II of Porphyra yezoensis ueda

The thylakoid membranes were isolated and purified from gametophyte of Porphyrayezoensis Ueda (P yezoensis) by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. After R yezoensis gametophyte thylakoid membranes were solubilized with SDS, the photosystem 11 (PSII) particles were isolated and purified. The activity of PSII particles was determined with DCIP (2,6-dichloroindophenol) photoreduction reaction. The composition of purified PSII particles was detected by SDS-PAGE. As a result, seven proteins including 55 kD protein, 47 kD protein, 43 kD protein, 33 kD protein, 31 kD protein, 29 kD protein, and 18 kD protein were found. Compared with PSII particles of higher plants and other algae, they were identified as D1/D2 complex, CP47, CP43, 33 kD protein, D1, D2 and cyt c-550 respectively. Besides, other three new proteins of 20 kD, 16 kD and 14 kD respectively were found. Among these extrinsic proteins, the 16 kD and 14 kD proteins had not been reported previously, and the 20 kD protein was found for the first time in multicellular red algae.

Isolation and characterization of photosystem II from the filamentous sporophyte of Porphyra yezoensis

Thylakoid membranes were isolated and purified from diploid filamentous sporophytes of Porphyra yezoensis Ueda using sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation (SDGUC). After thylakoid membranes were solubilized with SDS, the photosystem II (PSII) particles with high 2, 6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) photoreduction activity were isolated by SDGUC. The absorption and fluorescence spectra, DCIP photoreduction activity and oxygen evolution activity of the thylakoid membranes and PSII particles were determined. The polypeptide composition of purified PSII particles was distinguished by SDS-PAGE. Results showed that PSII particles of sporophytes differed from the gametophytes in spectral properties and polypeptide composition. Apart from 55 kDa D1-D2 heterodimer, CP47, CP43, 33 kDa protein was also detected. However, cyt c-550, 20 kDa, 14 kDa and 16 kDa proteins found in PSII particles from gametophytes were not detected in the sporophytes.

Isolation and characterization of the oxygen-evolving photosystem II complex from the economical red alga Bangia fusco-purpurea

The highly pure and active photosystem II (PSII) complex was isolated from Bangia fusco-purpurea (Dillw) Lyngb., an important economic red alga in China, through two steps of sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and characterized by the room absorption and fluorescence emission spectra, DCIP (2,6-dichloroindophenol) reduction, and oxygen evolution rates. The PSII complex from B. fusco-purpurea had the characteristic absorption peaks of chlorophyll (Chl) a (436 and 676 nm) and typical fluorescence emission peak at 685 nm (Ex = 436 nm). Moreover, the acquired PSII complex displayed high oxygen evolution (139 mu mol O-2/(mg Chl h) in the presence of 2.5 mM 2,6-dimethybenzoqinone as an artificial acceptor and was active in photoreduction of DCIP (2,6-dichloroindophenol) by DPC (1,5-diphenylcarbazide) at 163 U/(mg Chl a h). SDS-PAGE also suggested that the purified PSII complex contained four intrinsic proteins (D1, D2, CP43, and CP47) and four extrinsic proteins (33-kD protein, 20-kD protein, cyt c-550, and 14-kD protein).