Îòäåë çàíèìàåòñÿ èññëåäîâàíèåì ïåðâè÷íûõ ïðîöåññîâ â ôîòîñèíòåòè÷åñêèõ ñâåòîñîáèðàþùèõ àíòåííàõ è ðåàêöèîííûõ öåíòðàõ (ÐÖ).

 ãðóïïå ïðîô. Â.À.Øóâàëîâà ïîêàçàíî, ÷òî ïåðâè÷íûé àêò ïðåîáðàçîâàíèÿ ýíåðãèè âîçáóæäåíèÿ ïåðâè÷íîãî äîíîðà ýëåêòðîíà (Ð) â áàêòåðèàëüíûõ ÐÖ ñîñòîèò â ïåðåíîñå ýëåêòðîíà îò Ð íà ìîíîìåð áàêòåðèîõëîðîôèëëà ( Âà ) çà âðåìÿ 1.6 ïñ ïðè 10Ê, îáðàçóÿ ñîñòîÿíèå Ð+Âà-.  íàòèâíûõ ÐÖ ïåðåíîñ ýëåêòðîíà îò Â- íà áàêòåðèîôåîôèòèí (Íà) ïðîèñõîäèò çà 1 ïñ.  ìîäèôèöèðîâàííûõ ÐÖ (ïðè çàìåíå Íà íà ôåîôèòèí (Ôô) ðàñòåíèé) ýòîò ïðîöåññ ïðè 10Ê áëîêèðîâàí, ò.ê. óðîâåíü Ð+Âà- ýíåðãåòè÷åñêè íèæå óðîâíÿ Ð+Ôô- , è íàáëþäàåòñÿ ëèøü ïåðåíîñ ýëåêòðîíà îò Âà- íà õèíîí ïóòåì ñóïåðîáìåíà ñ èñïîëüçîâàíèåì âàêàíòíîé îðáèòàëè Ôô.

 ëàáîðàòîðèè ñòðóêòóðû è ôóíêöèè ñâåòîñîáèðàþùèõ àíòåíí (çàâ. ä.ô.-ì.í. Ç.Ã.Ôåòèñîâà) âûäâèíóòà êîíöåïöèÿ æåñòêîé îïòèìèçàöèè ñòðóêòóðû ñâåòîñîáèðàþùåé àíòåííû ïî ôóíêöèîíàëüíîìó êðèòåðèþ. Ìàòåìàòè÷åñêîå ìîäåëèðîâàíèå ïðîöåññà ïåðåäà÷è ýíåðãèè ñâåòà îò ìîëåêóë àíòåííû ê ÐÖ ïîçâîëèëî îïðåäåëèòü ðÿä ïðèíöèïîâ îðãàíèçàöèè îïòèìàëüíîé àíòåííû. Öåëåíàïðàâëåííûé ïîèñê â ïðèðîäíûõ àíòåííàõ (â ÷àñòíîñòè, â õëîðîñîìíûõ ñóïåðàíòåííàõ çåëåíûõ áàêòåðèé) íàéäåííûõ òåîðåòè÷åñêè ïðèíöèïîâ îðãàíèçàöèè îïòèìàëüíûõ àíòåíí ïðèâåë ê îòêðûòèþ ðÿäà ôóíäàìåíòàëüíûõ ïðèíöèïîâ îðãàíèçàöèè àíòåííûõ ñòðóêòóð in vivo.  ÷àñòíîñòè:

Îòêðûòà ñòðîãàÿ óïîðÿäî÷åííîñòü âåêòîðîâ äèïîëüíûõ ìîìåíòîâ Qy-ïåðåõîäîâ áàêòåðèîõëîðîôèëëà (ÁÕë) ñ â õëîðîñîìàõ: ýòè âåêòîðû - âçàèìíî ïàðàëëåëüíû è íàïðàâëåíû âäîëü äëèííîé îñè õëîðîñîìû.

Ïîêàçàíî, ÷òî îëèãîìåðèçàöèÿ ìîëåêóë àíòåííû - áèîëîãè÷åñêè öåëåñîîáðàçíà. Ýêñïåðèìåíòàëüíîå äîêàçàòåëüñòâî îëèãîìåðíîé îðãàíèçàöèè àíòåííû in vivo âïåðâûå ïîëó÷åíî äëÿ õëîðîñîìíûõ àíòåíí.

Îïðåäåëåíà ñòðóêòóðà ýêñèòîííûõ óðîâíåé îëèãîìåðîâ ÁÕë ñ â õëîðîñîìíîé àíòåííå, ÷òî ïîçâîëèëî èñïîëüçîâàòü åå êàê ôóíäàìåíòàëüíûé êðèòåðèé àäåêâàòíîñòè ëþáîé ìîäåëè àãðåãàöèè ïèãìåíòîâ in vivo. Ïîêàçàíî, ÷òî íè îäíà èç ïðåäëîæåííûõ çà ïîñëåäíèå 20 ëåò ìîäåëåé àãðåãàöèè õëîðîñîìíûõ ïèãìåíòîâ íå óäîâëåòâîðÿåò ýòîìó êðèòåðèþ. Ïðåäëîæåíà îðèãèíàëüíàÿ ìîäåëü îëèãîìåðíîé îðãàíèçàöèè ÁÕë ñ â õëîðîñîìíîé àíòåííå, è ðàçâèòà òåîðèÿ åå ôóíêöèîíèðîâàíèÿ. Èññëåäîâàíèå äèíàìèêè ýêñèòîíà â õëîðîñîìíûõ àíòåííàõ ðàçíîãî ðàçìåðà ïîêàçàëî ñîîòâåòñòâèå òåîðèè è ýêñïåðèìåíòà. Main subjects of investigations are primary photosynthetic processes in light-gathering antennae and reaction centers (RCs).

1. Shuvalov, V.A. (1990) Primary Light Energy Conversion at Photosynthesis. Moscow. Nauka. 212 p.

2. Franken, E.M., A.Ya. Shkuropatov, C.Francke, S. Neerken, P. Gast, V.A.Shuvalov, A.J. Hoff, T.J. Aartsma. Reaction centers of Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 with selective replacement of bacteriopheophytin by pheophytin a. Biochim.Biophys.Acta (1997), 1319, 242-250.

3. Fetisova, Z.G., Freiberg, A.M., Timpmann, K.E. Long-range molecular order as an efficient strategy for light harvesting in photosynthesis. Nature (1988) 334, 633-634.

4. Fetisova, Z.G., Shibaeva, L.V., Fok, M.V.Biological expedience of oligomerization of pigments in natural photosynthetic systems. J. Theor. Biol. (1989) 140, 167-184.

5. Fetisova, Z.G., Mauring, K. Experimental evidence of oligomeric organization of antenna bacteriochlorophyll c in green bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus by spectral hole burning. FEBS Letters (1993) 323, 159-162.

6. Fetisova, Z.G., Freiberg, A.M., Mauring, K., Novoderezhkin,V.I., Taisova, A.S., Timpmann, K.E. Excitation energy transfer in chlorosomes of green bacteria: theoretical and experimental studies. Biophys. J. (1996) 71, 995 -1010.