Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Water in Oil Emulsions: A New System for Assembling Water-soluble Chlorophyll-binding Proteins with Hydrophobic Pigments
Published on: March 21, 2016
Thermally activated superradiance and intersystem crossing in the water-soluble chlorophyll binding protein
1Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Free University Berlin, Fabeckstrasse 36a, D-14195 Berlin, Germany. rth@chemie.fu-berlin.de
Abstract:
The crystal structure of the class IIb water-soluble chlorophyll binding protein (WSCP) from Lepidium virginicum is used to model linear absorption and circular dichroism spectra as well as excited state decay times of class IIa WSCP from cauliflower reconstituted with chlorophyll (Chl) a and Chl b. The close agreement between theory and experiment suggests that both types of WSCP share a common Chl binding motif, where the opening angle between pigment planes in class IIa WSCP should not differ by more than 10 degrees from that in class IIb. The experimentally observed (Schmitt et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2008, 112, 13951) decrease in excited state lifetime of Chl a homodimers with increasing temperature is fully explained by thermally activated superradiance via the upper exciton state of the dimer. Whereas a temperature-independent intersystem crossing (ISC) rate is inferred for WSCP containing Chl a homodimers, that of WSCP with Chl b homodimers is found to increase above 100 K. Our quantum chemical/electrostatic calculations suggest that a thermally activated ISC via an excited triplet state T4 is responsible for the latter temperature dependence.
More Related Videos
11:55In Vitro Reconstitution of Light-harvesting Complexes of Plants and Green Algae
Published on: October 10, 2014
08:40Separation of Spinach Thylakoid Protein Complexes by Native Green Gel Electrophoresis and Band Characterization using Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting
Published on: February 14, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Photosystem II
The pigment molecules are arranged across two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
Photosystems
Functioning of Photosystems
Photosystems contain many pigment molecules, such as chlorophylls and carotenoids, arranged in a particular organization across two domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram
The Antenna Complex
Channel Rhodopsins
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...
The Photochemical Reaction Center