Species-dependence of the redox potential of the primary quinone electron acceptor QA in photosystem II verified by spectroelectrochemistry.

The redox potentials E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) of the primary quinone electron acceptor Q(A) in oxygen-evolving photosystem II complexes of three species were determined by spectroelectrochemistry. The E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) values were experimentally found to be -162+/-3 mV for a higher plant spinach, -171+/-3 mV for a green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and -104+/-4 mV vs. SHE for a red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. On the basis of possible deviations for the experimental values, as estimated to differ by 9-29 mV from each true value, plausible causes for such remarkable species-dependence of E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) are discussed, mainly by invoking the effects of extrinsic subunits on the delicate structural environment around Q(A).