Surface-Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering Spectroscopy of Bacterial Photosynthetic Membranes: Orientation of the Carotenoids of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1

Rafael Picorel, Tianhong Lu, Randall E. Holt, Therese M. Cotton, Michael Seibert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus Citations

Abstract

SurfAcc.-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) spectra were obtained from carotenoids, in the all-trans configuration, located on the antenna complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 membranes. Since resonance Raman (RR) spectra are barely detectable at the concentration that SERRS signals saturate, SERRS represents a very sensitive means of detecting pigments in biological systems. Prominent SERRS spectra of sphaeroidenone were detected in chromatophores (cytoplasmic side out) but not in sphero-plast-derived vesicles (periplasmic side out), demonstrating that the carotenoid is asymmetrically located on the cytoplasmic side of the cell membrane. Comparison of peak frequencies from SERRS and RR spectral data suggests that the carotenoids are oriented into the membrane with the methoxy end of the isoprenoid chains located closest to the cytoplasmic side of the intracytoplasmic membrane. This work not only shows that SERRS spectroscopy can provide information on the location of a chromophore in a biological membrane but also for the first time demonstrates that SERRS data can be used to ascertain the orientation of a chromophore within the membrane. This observation greatly increases the potential of this technique for structural analysis of intact membranes at the molecular level.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)707-712
Number of pages6
JournalBiochemistry
Volume29
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 1990
Externally publishedYes

NREL Publication Number

  • ACNR/JA-233-11252

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