| Title | Theoretical examination of quantum coherence in a photosynthetic system at physiological temperature. | | Author(s) | Ishizaki A, Fleming GR | | Institution | Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. | | Source | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009 Oct 13; 106(41):17255-60. | | MeSH | Chlorobi
Electronics
Energy Transfer
Evolution
Models, Biological
Photosynthesis
Quantum Theory
Rhodobacter sphaeroides
Temperature
| | Abstract | The observation of long-lived electronic coherence in a photosynthetic pigment-protein complex, the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex, is suggestive that quantum coherence might play a significant role in achieving the remarkable efficiency of photosynthetic electronic energy transfer (EET), although the data were acquired at cryogenic temperature [Engel GS, et al. (2007) Evidence for wavelike energy transfer through quantum coherence in photosynthetic systems. Nature 446:782-786]. In this paper, the spatial and temporal dynamics of EET through the FMO complex at physiological temperature are investigated theoretically. The numerical results reveal that quantum wave-like motion persists for several hundred femtoseconds even at physiological temperature, and suggest that the FMO complex may work as a rectifier for unidirectional energy flow from the peripheral light-harvesting antenna to the reaction center complex by taking advantage of quantum coherence and the energy landscape of pigments tuned by the protein scaffold. A potential role of quantum coherence is to overcome local energetic traps and aid efficient trapping of electronic energy by the pigments facing the reaction center complex. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
| | PubMed ID | 19815512 |
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