Photosynthetic Electron Transport in an Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacterium Afifella (Rhodopseudomonas) marina Measured Using PAM Fluorometry

Blue diode-based pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) technology can be used to measure the photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR) in a purple nonsulfur anoxygenic photobacterium, Afifella (Rhodopseudomonas) marina. Rhodopseudomonads have a reaction center light harvesting antenna complex containing an RC-2 type bacteriochlorophyll a protein (BChl a RC-2-LH1) which has a blue absorption peak and variable fluorescence similar to PSII. Absorptance of cells filtered onto glass fiber disks was measured using a blue-diode-based absorptance meter (Blue-RAT) so that absolute ETR could be calculated from PAM experiments. Maximum quantum yield (Y) was ≈0.6, decreasing exponentially as irradiance increased. ETR vs irradiance (P vs E) curves fitted the waiting-in-line model (ETR = (ETRmax × E/Eopt ) × exp(1 - E/Eopt )). Maximum ETR (ETRmax ) was ≈1000-2000 μmol e(-) mg(-1) BChl a h(-1) . Fe(2+) , bisulfite and thiosulfate act as photosynthetic electron donors. Optimum irradiance was ≈100 μmol m(-2) s(-1) PPFD even in Afifella grown in sunlight. Quantum efficiencies (α) were ≈0.3-0.4 mol e(-) mol hλ(-1) ; or ≈11.8 ± 2.9 mol e(-) mol hλ(-1) m(2) μg(-1) BChl a). An underlying layer of Afifella in a constructed algal/photosynthetic bacterial mat has little effect on the measured ETR of the overlying oxyphotoautotroph (Chlorella).