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Related Concept Videos

Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

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Although structurally similar to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI) is has a different electron supplier and electron acceptor.
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...
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Photosystem II01:22

Photosystem II

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The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across  two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment...
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The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis01:34

The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis

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The light reactions of photosynthesis assume a linear flow of electrons from water to NADP+. During this process, light energy drives the splitting of water molecules to produce oxygen. However, oxidation of water molecules is a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction and requires a strong oxidizing agent. This is accomplished by the first product of light reactions: oxidized P680 (or P680+), the most powerful oxidizing agent known in biology. The oxidized P680 that acquires an electron from the...
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The Photochemical Reaction Center01:29

The Photochemical Reaction Center

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Reaction centers are pigment-protein complexes that initiate energy conversion from photons to chemical entities. Therefore, photochemical reaction center is a more appropriate term that describes these complexes. The Nobel laureates Robert Emerson and William Arnold provided the first experimental evidence of photochemical reaction centers by demonstrating the participation of nearly 2,500 chlorophyll molecules for the release of just one molecule of oxygen. Despite thousands of photosynthetic...
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Photosystems01:32

Photosystems

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Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in the membrane of tiny sac-like structures called thylakoids placed inside the chloroplast.
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...
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Anoxygenic Photosynthesis01:30

Anoxygenic Photosynthesis

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Anoxygenic photosynthesis is a phototrophic process that captures light energy to drive carbon fixation without producing molecular oxygen. Unlike oxygenic photosynthesis, which utilizes water as an electron donor and releases oxygen, anoxygenic phototrophs use alternative electron donors such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), elemental sulfur (S⁰), or thiosulfate (S₂O₃²⁻). This process is carried out by diverse groups of bacteria, including purple bacteria, green...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Separation of Spinach Thylakoid Protein Complexes by Native Green Gel Electrophoresis and Band Characterization using Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting
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Separation of Spinach Thylakoid Protein Complexes by Native Green Gel Electrophoresis and Band Characterization using Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting

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Spin selectivity in electron transfer in photosystem I.

Itai Carmeli1, Karuppannan Senthil Kumar, Omri Heifler

  • 1Department of Chemical Physics, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100 (Israel).

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|July 4, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Electron spin significantly impacts electron transfer (ET) efficiency in Photosystem I (PSI). This study reveals spin-aligned electron transfer in PSI, with selectivity dependent on temperature and protein structure.

Keywords:
chiralityelectron transferphotosystem Itemperature-dependent charge transfer

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Quantum Biology
  • Photosynthesis Research

Background:

  • Photosystem I (PSI) is a crucial biological electron transfer (ET) system.
  • Previous research focused on structural and electronic effects on ET efficiency.
  • The role of electron spin in biological ET remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of electron spin on ET efficiency in Photosystem I.
  • To quantify spin polarization and its direction during ET in PSI.
  • To explore the relationship between spin selectivity, temperature, and PSI structure.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a novel spintronic device for PSI monolayer orientation control.
  • Employed a technique to evaluate spin polarization degree and direction in PSI ET.
  • Measured spin selectivity across a range of temperatures (150 K to 300 K).

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated high spin selectivity throughout the entire ET pathway in PSI.
  • Established that electron spins are aligned parallel to their momenta during transfer.
  • Observed peak spin selectivity at 300 K, diminishing below 150 K.

Conclusions:

  • Electron spin is a critical factor influencing ET efficiency in PSI.
  • The chiral protein structure of PSI is key to high spin selectivity and its temperature dependence.
  • This finding suggests a potentially significant role for spin in biological ET processes.