Estimation of the Index Value of Dielectric Permeability inside the Membranes of Purple Bacteria

• Published in: Biofizika Vol. 60; no. 4; p. 729
• Main Authors: Borisov, A Y, Kozlovsky, V S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 01.07.2015
• Subjects: Bacteriochlorophylls - chemistry; Bacteriochlorophylls - physiology; Cell Fractionation; Cell Membrane - chemistry; Cell Membrane - physiology; Electric Impedance; Energy Transfer; Light; Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes - chemistry; Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes - physiology; Permeability; Photosynthesis - physiology; Proteobacteria - chemistry; Proteobacteria - physiology; Rhodobacter sphaeroides - chemistry; Rhodobacter sphaeroides - physiology
• ISSN: 0006-3029

The joint application of the precise X-ray data for isolated bacteriochlorophyll complexes of reaction centers and the fundamental formulae for the energy of interaction between two equal dipoles enabled us to suggest a new methodical approach for determination of the values of the index of dielectric permeability in the micro volume enclosing special pairs in Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction centers. The most probable value for this parameter was thus determined within 1.66-1.76. This approach was generalized for the inner layer of the membranes of purple bacteria and yielded the index value about 1.70-1.85. It is argued that this range of dielectric permeability is adequate for bacterial and plant membranes as well. Low magnitude of this parameter contributes to higher efficiency of energy migration from vast light-harvesting chlorophyll "antenna" to the energy converting reaction centers and hence to higher efficiency of the whole photosynthesis.