Combined biophysical and molecular biological studies will be carried out on the structural determinants of the complex functions of reaction centers from Rh. sphaeroides, with the goal of manipulating, by means of site directed mutations, the functional properties of several of the cofactors active in the light energy transduction. Attempts are also being made to establish a molecular genetics system for Rps. Viridis reaction centers. Meanwhile, the biophysical characterization of this species will be continued. The primary process of photosynthesis involves the light-induced transfer of an electron from a primary electron donor to a sequence of electron acceptors. This is accomplished in a membrane bound pigment-protein complex called a reaction center. The proteins involved in energy transduction in photosynthesis provide a unique opportunity for investigating the biophysical chemistry of proteins and the principles behind their remarkable activities and behavior.
