Probing the connection of PBSs to the photosystems in Spirulina platensis by artificially induced fluorescence fluctuations

The molecular architecture and the structural connections of phycobilisomes (PBSs) to the photosystems in the intact cells of Spirulina platensis were studied by taking advantage of glycerol- and betaine-induced fluorescence fluctuations. Generally, with a selective excitation of C-phycocyanin (C-PC), glycerol could induce not only decoupling of PBSs from the photosystems but also of C-PC rods from allophycocyanin (APC) cores, while betaine could strengthen the connection of PBSs to the thylakoid membrane but induce a partial dissociation of PBS. On the other hand, glycerol did not exert an influence on the fluorescence spectra of the photosystems in isolated thylakoid membrane. Therefore, it was deduced that glycerol could provide a molecular environment to weaken the hydrophobic interactions of not only the LCM with the membrane but also the linker polypeptides to the water-soluble phycobiliproteins (C-PC and APC), while the betaine could strengthen the hydrophobic interaction of LCM with the membrane but weaken the electrostatic interaction of linker polypeptides to C-PC and/or APC.