Correlation between Structure and Magnetic Spin State of the Manganese Cluster in the Oxygen-Evolving Complex of Photosystem II in the S2 State: Determination by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Authors:
  • MLMatthew J. Latimer
    Matthew J. Latimer
  • TRTheo A. Roelofs
    Theo A. Roelofs
  • VYVittal K. Yachandra
    Vittal K. Yachandra
  • KSKenneth Sauer
    Kenneth Sauer
  • MKMelvin P. Klein
    Melvin P. Klein
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Abstract
The structure of the manganese cluster in the S2 state with the g approximately 4 EPR signal (S2-g4 state) generated by 130 K illumination of photosystem II (PSII) membranes prepared from spinach has been investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The Mn X-ray absorption K-edge spectra of the S2-g4 state not only show a shift of the inflection point to higher energy from the S1 state but also reveal a different edge shape from that of the S2 state with the multiline signal (S2-MLS state). Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies of the Mn K-edge show that the structure of the Mn cluster in the S2-g4 state is distinctly different from those in the S2-MLS or S1 states. In the S2-g4 state, the second shell of back-scatters from the Mn absorber is found to contain two Mn-Mn distances of 2.73 and 2.85 A. We interpret this to indicate the presence of two nonequivalent di-mu-oxo-bridged Mn binuclear structures in the Mn cluster of the S2-g4 state. The third shell of the S2-g4 state at about 3.3 A also contains increased heterogeneity. By contrast, very little distance disorder was found to exist in the second shell of the S1 or S2-MLS states. A mechanism is proposed to explain these results in the context of our model for the Mn cluster and the EPR properties of the Mn complex in the S2 state.