Search

The primary electron donor of photosystem (PS) II in the chlorophyll (Chl) d-dominated cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina was confirmed by delayed fluorescence (DF) and further proved by pigment contents of cells grown under several light intensities. The DF was found only in the Chl a region, identical to Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and disappeared following heat treatment. Pigment analyses indicated that at least two Chl a molecules were present per each two pheophytin a molecules, and these Chl a molecules are assigned to PD1 and PD2. These findings clearly indicate that Chl a is required for water oxidation in PS II.

We report production of chlorophyll f and chlorophyll d in the cyanobacterium Chlorogloeopsis fritschii cultured under near-infrared and natural light conditions. C. fritschii produced chlorophyll f and chlorophyll d when cultured under natural light to a high culture density in a 20L bubble column photobioreactor. In the laboratory, the ratio of chlorophyll f to chlorophyll a changed from 1:15 under near-infrared, to an undetectable level of chlorophyll f under artificial white light. The results provide support that chlorophylls f and d are both red-light inducible chlorophylls in C. fritschii.

A Chl f-containing filamentous cyanobacterium was purified from stromatolites and named as Halomicronema hongdechloris gen., sp. nov. after its phylogenetic classification and the morphological characteristics. Hongdechloris contains four main carotenoids and two chlorophylls, a and f. The ratio of Chl f to Chl a is reversibly changed from 1:8 under red light to an undetectable level of Chl f under white-light culture conditions. Phycobiliproteins were induced under white light growth conditions. A fluorescence emission peak of 748nm was identified as due to Chl f. The results suggest that Chl f is a red-light inducible chlorophyll.