Asc Prof

Kenji V. P. Nagashima

e-mail

nagashima-kenji@tmu.ac.jp

Organization of photosynthetic electron-transfer system

Electron-transfer pathways of photosynthetic bacteria have still unknown features. We are investigating the organization of the pathways and the meaning of the fine structure of the electron transfer components including the 4-hemes-protein associated with the photosynthetic reaction center.

Function and biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments

Photosynthetic organisms have light-harvesting systems composed of chlorophylls, carotenoids and proteins. We are studying the functions and biosynthesis of various kinds of chlorophylls and carotenoids.

Arrangement, regulatory system and evolution of photosynthetic genes

The effects of oxygen and light on photosynthetic gene expression are diverse among photosynthetic bacteria. We are investigating the regulatory mechanisms of gene expression, as well as the arrangement of photosynthetic genes in the genome in various species.

Related Links

Recent Publications

1. Ohmine, M., Matsuura, K., Shimada, K., Alric, J., Vermeglio, A., Nagashima, K.V.P. (2009) Cytochrome c4 can be involved in the photosynthetic electron transfer system in the purple bacterium, Rubrivivax gelatinosus. Biochemistry 48, 9132-9139
2. Tsukatani, Y., Nakayama, N., Shimada, K., Mino, H., Itoh, S., Matsuura, K., Hanada, S., Nagashima, K.V.P. (2009) Characterization of a blue-copper protein, auracyanin, of the filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Roseiflexus castenholzii. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 490, 57-62
3. Kimura, Y., Alric, J., Vermeglio, A., Masuda, S., Hagiwara, Y., Matsuura, K., Shimada, K. and Nagashima, K.V.P. (2007) A new membrane-bound cytochrome c works as an electron donor to the photosynthetic reaction center complex in the purple bacterium, Rhodovulum sulfidophilum. J. Biol. Chem. 282, 6463-6472
4. Tomii, T., Shibata, Y., Ikeda, Y.,Taniguchi, S., Haik, C., Mataga, N., Shimada, K. and Itoh, S. (2007) Energy and electron transfer in the photosynthetic reaction center complex of Acidiphilium rubrum containing Zn-bacterio-chlorophyll a studied by femtosecond up-conversion spectroscopy. Biochim. Biophys. Acta�@1767, 22-30
5. Alric, J., Lavergne, J., Rappaport, F., Vermeglio, A., Matsuura, K., Shimada, K. and Nagashima, K.V.P. (2006) Kinetic performance and energy profile in a roller coaster electron transfer chain: a study of modified tetraheme-reaction center constructs. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 4136-4145
6. Yamada, M., Zhang, H., Hanada, S., Nagashima, K.V.P., Shimada, K. and Matsuura, K. (2005) Structural and spectroscopic properties of a reaction center complex from the chlorosome-lacking filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Roseiflexus castenholozii. J. Bacteriol. 187, 1702-1709
7. Kimura, Y., Matsuura, K., Alric, J., Vermeglio, A., Masuda, S., Shimada, K. and Nagashima, K.V.P. (2005) Membrane-bound cytochrome c (100 kDa) working as an electron donor to the reaction center in the purple bacterium, Rhodovulum sulfidophilum. in 13th International Congress on Photosynthesis (Bruce, D. and van der Est, A., eds), Allen Press, Montreal, Vol1, pp323-324
8. Nagashima, K.V.P., Alric, J., Matsuura, K., Shimada, K. and Vermeglio, A. (2005) Changes in midpoint potentials of hemes by SD-mutagenesis in RC-bound tetraheme cytochrome of Blastochloris viridis. in 13th International Congress on Photosynthesis (Bruce, D. and van der Est, A., eds), Allen Press, Montreal, Vol1, pp325-326
9. Alric, J., Tsukatani, Y., Yoshida, M., Matsuura, K., Shimada, K., Hienerwadel, R., Schoepp-Cothenet, B., Nitschke, W., Nagashima, K.V.P., Vermeglio, A. (2004) Structural and functional characterization of the unusual triheme cytochrome bound to the reaction center of Rhodovulum sulfidophilum. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 26090-26097
10. Alric, J., Yoshida, M., Nagashima, K.V.P., Hienerwadel, R., Parot, P., Vermeglio, A., Chen, S.W., Pellequer, J.L. (2004) Two distinct binding sites for high potential iron-sulfur protein and cytochrome c on the reaction center-bound cytochrome of Rubrivivax gelatinosus. J. Biol Chem. 279, 32545-32553
11. Alric, J., Cuni, A., Maki, H., Nagashima, K.V.P., Vermeglio, A., Rappaport, F. (2004) Electrostatic interaction between redox cofactors in photosynthetic reaction centers. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 47849-47855
12. Tsukatani, Y., Matsuura, K., Masuda, S., Shimada K., Hiraishi A. and Nagashima, K.V.P. (2004) Phylogenetic distribution of unusual triheme to tetraheme cytochrome subunit in the reaction center complex of purple photosynthetic bacteria. �@Photosynth. Res. 79, 83-91
13. Maki, H., Matsuura, K. Shimada, K. and Nagashima, K.V.P. (2003) Chimeric photosynthetic reaction center complex of purple bacteria composed of the core subunits of Rubrivivax gelatinosus and the cytochrome subunit of Blastochloris viridis. J. Biol. Chem. 278:3921-3828.
14. Masuda, S., Tsukatani, Y., Kimura, Y., Nagashima, K.V.P., Shimada, K. and Matsuura, K. (2002) Mutational analyses of the photosynthetic reaction-center-bound triheme cytochrome subunit and cytochrome c2 in the purple bacterium, Rhodovulum sulfidophilum. Biochemistry 41: 11211-11217.
15. Nagashima, S., Shimada, K., Matsuura, K. and Nagashima, K.V.P. (2002) Transcription of three sets of genes coding for core light-harvesting proteins in the purple sulfur bacterium, Allochromatium vinosum. Photosynth. Res. 74, 269-280
16. Nagashima, K.V.P., Matsuura, K., Shimada, K. and Vermeglio, A. (2002) High-potential iron-sulfur protein (HiPIP) is the major electron donor to the reaction center complex in photosynthetically growing cells of the purple bacterium, Rubrivivax gelatinosus.�@Biochemistry 41, 14028-14032.