The Effects of pH and Ionic Strength on the Aggregation of Bacteriochlorophyll c in Aqueous Organic Media: The Possibility of Two Kinds of Aggregates

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The aggregation behavior of two homologs of bacteriochlorophyll c (BChl c) in various media was investigated for the effects of pH and salt, and the corresponding structures were analyzed by Fourier transform (FT)‐IR spectroscopy. R‐[P, E] BChl cF (31‐R‐form of BChl c with a propyl group at the C‐8 position and an ethyl group at the C‐12 position) and R‐[E, E] BChl cF (31‐R‐form of BChl c with two ethyl groups at positions C‐8 and C‐12) were isolated from the green sulfur bacterium Chloro‐bium limicola. Aggregates of each homolog showed a pH‐dependent shift of the absorption maximum; at low pH, the peak moved to the red. This tendency was also revealed by circular dichroic spectra. A similar red shift of the peak was also induced by a high concentration of salt (NaCl) or buffer for both homologs. The FT‐IR spectrum indicates that at low pH, both homologs formed a rather amorphous aggregate. On the other hand, a regular structure of R‐[P, E] BChl cF was indicated in an acetone‐water mixture. This structure was stabilized by a triangular interaction among three pigment molecules through the Mg‐OH (3>) O = C (131) linkage. This structure was not found for R‐[E, E] BChl cF. These results indicate that the replacement of the side chain at the C‐8 position on the macrocycle induces a change in aggregation behavior. A possible heterogeneity of the in vivo rod structure of chlorosomes in green sulfur bacteria is discussed based on the above results.