Excitation energy flow in chlorosome antennas of green photosynthetic bacteria

Energy flow in whole cells of the thermophilic green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus was studied by measurements of time-resolved fluorescence spectra in the picosecond time range, detected by both streak camera and single-photon counting methods. These data characterize the energy-transfer sequence from bacteriochlorophyll c (BChl c), found in membrane-associated antenna structures called chlorosomes, to BChl a in the chlorosome baseplate, then to a BChl a antenna complex in the cytoplasmic membrane, and finally to the photochemical reaction center. Upon selective excitation of BChl c in chlorosomes, the decay time of the emission arising from BChl c was 16 ps. The apparent rise time of the emission from the baseplate pigment was <3 ps.