Dichroism of bacteriochlorophyll in chromatophores of photosynthetic bacteria.

The dichroism was measured in films of air-dried and, consequently, flattened chromatophores of Chromatium vinosum, Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and Rhodospirillum rubrum. The values (deltaA/A) of dichroism in C. vinosum were found to be -1.05 at 590 nm and 0.75 in the near infrared region. The values of dichroism in R. sphaeroides were -0.70 at 590 nm and 0.80 at 870 nm. The values of dichroism in R. rubrum were -1.45 at 590 nm and 0.97 at 870 nm.