Mössbauer spectroscopy on the reaction center of Rhodopseudomonas viridis

Proteins called “reaction centers” (RC) can be isolated from many photosynthetic bacteria. They have one non-heme iron in a quinone acceptor region. The RC of Rhodopseudomonas viridis contains an additional tightly bound tetra-heme cytochrome c subunit. The electronic configuration of both cytochrome and the non-heme iron has been studied in the crystallized protein by Mossbauer spectroscopy at different redox potentials, pH-values, and with an addition of o-phenanthroline. At high potentials (Eh=+500mV) all heme irons are in the low spin Fe3+-state, and at low potential (Eh=−150mV) they are low spin Fe2+ with the same Mossbauer parameters for all hemes independent of pH. Redox titrations c…