Mapping the Energy Transfer Network in the Diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana by Picosecond Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy down to Cryogenic Temperatures.

Authors

Lena Golubewa, Yaraslau Padrez, Marius Franckevičius, Patricija Zemaityte, Simona Streckaitė, Jevgenij Chmeliov, Leonas Valkunas, Bruno Robert, Claudia Büchel, Andrius Gelzinis

Published in

The journal of physical chemistry letters. Volume 17. Issue 35. Pages 10191-10198. Sep 03, 2026.

Abstract

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic microalgae that contribute nearly a quarter of the global primary production. Knowledge of the mechanisms, networks, and time scales of the excitation transfer is crucial for a deeper understanding of their photosynthetic machinery. Unfortunately, the short excited-state lifetime of photosystem I at room temperature and research focus on isolated structures have limited the development of a complete excitation transfer scheme in intact cells. Here, we address this gap through picosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements on intact Cyclotella meneghiniana cells obtained from 16 to 130 K and room temperature. Analysis of the data in terms of evolution-associated spectra reveals a complex interplay of excitation transfer, population of fluorescing trapping states, and excitation quenching at the whole-cell level. We show rapid depopulation of all antenna complexes, on the order of 30 ps even at 16 K, indicating a more efficient energy-transfer network in diatoms than in higher plants.

PMID:
42691346
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Sep 2026.

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