Rj. Debus et al., Does histidine 332 of the D1 polypeptide ligate the manganese cluster in photosystem II? An electron spin echo envelope modulation study, BIOCHEM, 40(12), 2001, pp. 3690-3699
The tetranuclear manganese cluster in photosystem II is ligated by one or m
ore histidine residues, as shown by an electron spin echo envelope modulati
on (ESEEM) study conducted with [N-15]histidine-labeled photosystem II part
icles isolated from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp, strain PCC 6803 [T
ang, X.-S., Diner, B. A., Larsen, B. S., Gilchrist, M. L., Jr., Lorigan, G.
A., and Britt, R. D. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 704-708]. On
e of these residues may be His332 of the D1 polypeptide. Photosystem IT par
ticles isolated from the Synechocystis mutant D1-H332E exhibit an altered S
-2 State multiline EPR signal that has more hyperfine lines and narrower sp
littings than the corresponding signal in wild-type PSII particles [Debus,
R. J., Campbell, K. A., Peloquin, J. M., Pham, D. P., and Britt, R. D. (200
0) Biochemistry 39, 470-478]. These D1-H332E PSII particles are also unable
to advance beyond an altered S2Yz. state, and the quantum yield for formin
g the St state is very low, corresponding to an 8000-fold slowing of the ra
te of Mn oxidation by Y-z(.). These observations are consistent with His332
being close to the Mn cluster and modulating the redox properties of both
the Mn cluster and tyrosine YZ. To determine if D1-His332 ligates the Mn cl
uster, we have conducted an ESEEM study of D1-H332E PSII particles. The his
tidyl nitrogen modulation observed near 5 MHz in ESEEM spectra of the St st
ate multiline EPR signal of wild-type PSII particles is substantially dimin
ished in D1-H332E PSII particles. This result is consistent with ligation o
f the Mn cluster by D1-His332. However, alternate explanations are possible
. These are presented and discussed.