ENERGY MIGRATION IN ALLOPHYCOCYANIN-B TRIMER WITH A LINKER POLYPEPTIDE - ANALYSIS BY THE PRINCIPAL MULTICOMPONENT SPECTRAL ESTIMATION (PMSE) METHOD

Energy migration processes in allophycocyanin-B trimer with a linker p olypeptide were analyzed using the principal multi-component spectral estimation (PMSE) method, which does not require assumption of compone nt number, decay function, or the spectral band shape. We determined t he number of spectral components showing independent kinetic behavior by the eigenvalue of an auto-correlation matrix, and further the spect ra of the components and their rise and decay curves. Two decay compon ents were resolved at 20 degrees C: one corresponded to the decay of o ne type of beta-84 chromophore, and the other to the decay from the th ermally equilibrated state between another type of beta-84 chromophore and the alpha-allophycocyanin B chromophore. An additional slow decay process was resolved at -196 degrees C. We also compared the componen t spectra obtained using the PMSE method with the decay-associated spe ctra obtained using the global analysis.