Unveiling Long-Range Forces in Light Harvesting Proteins: Pivotal Roles of Temperature and Light

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that both light and thermal energy can activate long-range electrodynamic interactions in a light harvesting protein, influencing energy transfer and conformational dynamics in biological systems.

Contribution

It reveals that thermal energy alone can trigger electrodynamic interactions in biomolecules, a novel insight into energy transfer mechanisms in biological systems.

Findings

Thermal energy can activate electrodynamic interactions up to hundreds of nanometers.

Light exposure activates additional collective modes not triggered by temperature.

Electrodynamic interactions influence conformational and energy transport processes.

Abstract

Electrodynamic interactions between biomolecules are of potential biological interest for signaling warranting investigation of their activation through various mechanisms in living systems. Here, using as model system a light harvesting protein within the phycobilisome antenna system of red algae, we proved that not only light exposure but also thermal energy alone can trigger attractive electrodynamic interactions up to hundreds of nanometer. The latter are sustained by low frequency collective modes and while the second mode appears only upon illumination, the fundamental one can be activated by temperature alone. Activation of such collective modes and ED interactions might influence conformational rearrangements and energy transport within the phycobilisome antenna system. This is a paradigm-shift that underscores the immense potential of biological systems in exploiting different forms of input energy to achieve optimal energy transfer.