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. 1989 Feb;89(2):452–456. doi: 10.1104/pp.89.2.452

Stabilization of Isolated Photosystem II Reaction Center Complex in the Dark and in the Light Using Polyethylene Glycol and an Oxygen-Scrubbing System 1

Hugh McTavish 1,2,2, Rafael Picorel 1,2,3, Michael Seibert 1,2
PMCID: PMC1055862  PMID: 16666564

Abstract

The photosystem II reaction center as isolated (O Nanba, K Satoh [1987] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84: 109-112) is quite dilute and very unstable. Precipitating the complex with polyethylene glycol and resuspending it in buffer without detergent concentrates the reaction center and greatly improves its stability at 4°C in the dark as judged by light-induced electron transport activity. Furthermore, a procedure was developed to minimize photodestruction of polyethylene-glycol-concentrated material at room temperature in the light. The ability to stabilize the photosystem II reaction center should facilitate future photophysical, biochemical, and structural studies of the complex.

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Selected References

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