Time sequence of the damage to the acceptor and donor sides of photosystem II by UV-B radiation as evaluated by chlorophyll a fluorescence

The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on photosystem II (PS II) were studied in leaves of Chenopodium album. After the treatment with UV-B the damage was estimated using chlorophyll a fluorescence techniques. Measurements of modulated fluorescence using a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer revealed that the efficiency of photosystem II decreased both with increasing time of UV-B radiation and with increasing intensity of the UV-B. Fluorescence induction rise curves were analyzed using a mechanistic model of energy trapping. It appears that the damage by UV-B radiation occurs first at the acceptor side of photosystem II, and only later at the donor side

Characterization of a photosystem II reaction center complex isolated by exposure of PSII membranes to a non-ionic detergent and high concentrations of NaCl

A highly resolved PSII reaction center complex has been prepared by exposure of PSII membranes to the detergent octylglucopyranoside at elevated ionic strengths; oxygen evolution activity is about 1,000 μmoles O 2 /hr/mg Chl in the presence of CaCl 2 . A Mn quantitation and a kinetic study of Z, the donor to P 680 , reveals that on a Chl basis this new preparation shows an almost four-fold enrichment in Mn and the electron transport components of PSII.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43532/1/11120_2004_Article_BF00118314.pd

Regulating STING in health and disease.

The presence of cytosolic double-stranded DNA molecules can trigger multiple innate immune signalling pathways which converge on the activation of an ER-resident innate immune adaptor named "STimulator of INterferon Genes (STING)". STING has been found to mediate type I interferon response downstream of cyclic dinucleotides and a number of DNA and RNA inducing signalling pathway. In addition to its physiological function, a rapidly increasing body of literature highlights the role for STING in human disease where variants of the STING proteins, as well as dysregulated STING signalling, have been implicated in a number of inflammatory diseases. This review will summarise the recent structural and functional findings of STING, and discuss how STING research has promoted the development of novel therapeutic approaches and experimental tools to improve treatment of tumour and autoimmune diseases

Spectral hole burning: examples from photosynthesis

The optical spectra of photosynthetic pigment–protein complexes usually show broad absorption bands, often consisting of a number of overlapping, ‘hidden’ bands belonging to different species. Spectral hole burning is an ideal technique to unravel the optical and dynamic properties of such hidden species. Here, the principles of spectral hole burning (HB) and the experimental set-up used in its continuous wave (CW) and time-resolved versions are described. Examples from photosynthesis studied with hole burning, obtained in our laboratory, are then presented. These examples have been classified into three groups according to the parameters that were measured: (1) hole widths as a function of temperature, (2) hole widths as a function of delay time and (3) hole depths as a function of wavelength. Two examples from light-harvesting (LH) 2 complexes of purple bacteria are given within the first group: (a) the determination of energy-transfer times from the chromophores in the B800 ring to the B850 ring, and (b) optical dephasing in the B850 absorption band. One example from photosystem II (PSII) sub-core complexes of higher plants is given within the second group: it shows that the size of the complex determines the amount of spectral diffusion measured. Within the third group, two examples from (green) plants and purple bacteria have been chosen for: (a) the identification of ‘traps’ for energy transfer in PSII sub-core complexes of green plants, and (b) the uncovering of the lowest k = 0 exciton-state distribution within the B850 band of LH2 complexes of purple bacteria. The results prove the potential of spectral hole burning measurements for getting quantitative insight into dynamic processes in photosynthetic systems at low temperature, in particular, when individual bands are hidden within broad absorption bands. Because of its high-resolution wavelength selectivity, HB is a technique that is complementary to ultrafast pump–probe methods. In this review, we have provided an extensive bibliography for the benefit of scientists who plan to make use of this valuable technique in their future research