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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Proton Transfer and Protein Conformation Dynamics in Photosensitive Proteins by Time-resolved Step-scan Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: June 27, 2014
The first picoseconds in bacterial photosynthesis--ultrafast electron transfer for the efficient conversion of light
Wolfgang Zinth1, Josef Wachtveitl
1Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Oettingenstr. 67, 80538 München, Germany. zinth@physik.uni-muenchen.de
Abstract:
In this Minireview, we describe the function of the bacterial reaction centre (RC) as the central photosynthetic energy-conversion unit by ultrafast spectroscopy combined with structural analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, pigment exchange and theoretical modelling. We show that primary energy conversion is a stepwise process in which an electron is transferred via neighbouring chromophores of the RC. A well-defined chromophore arrangement in a rigid protein matrix, combined with optimised energetics of the different electron carriers, allows a highly efficient charge-separation process. The individual molecular reactions at room temperature are well described by conventional electron-transfer theory.
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