Stabilization of Terahertz Vibrational Modes in Illuminated Orange Carotenoid Protein Crystals

Orange carotenoid protein (OCP) controls efficiency of the phycobilisome (PBS), the light harvesting antenna in cyanobacteria, to prevent oxidative damage. The OCP switches from resting state to photo protective state with intense blue light illumination. Questions persist as to why OCPR interaction increases with the PBS over that with the OCPO. Here we examine the role of long-range intramolecular vibrations within OCP. Using Stationary Sample Anisotropic Terahertz Microscopy (SSATM) we measure changes in the intramolecular vibrations with photo switching. We report the first observation of switching in the intramolecular vibrations with photoexcitation. Results suggest that there is a stiffening of the molecule in the photo protective state. This increase in structural stability may enhance the interaction with the PBS change in OCP interaction with PBS. In low light, carotenoid bound OCP appears orange (OCPo) and is inactive. Illumination by strong light converts OCP to the active, red (OCPR) state, which interacts with the PBS. A comparison of anisotropic THz microscopy measurements of dark adapted (OCPo) and illuminated OCP crystals indicate differences in their vibrational modes that may be important for OCP-PBS interactions.