Primary charge separation dynamics is modeled in the pheophytin-modified Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 reaction center (RC). To explain the observed spectral evolution, it is assumed that the process is coupled to coherent nuclear motion. A density matrix equation with the Redfield relaxation superoperator is used for simulation of the electron-vibrational dynamics and its spectral signatures. The model includes two diabatic states, i.e., an excited state P* of the primary donor (i.e., special pair, P), and a charge-transfer state (P + B -, which is the primary photoproduct in the pheophytin-modified RC). The strong coupling of these states with two collective nuclear modes is supposed. The mixing of diabatic states (with different displacements along each of the two nuclear coordinates) results in a complicated potential surface that determines the dynamics of the excited-state wave packet. The coupled nuclear and charge-transfer dynamics is calculated in the basis of vibronic eigenstates obtained by numerical diagonalization of the electron-vibrational Hamiltonian. The third-order nonlinear response associated with excited-state dynamics is calculated, including the P* f P stimulated emission (SE) and the P + Bf P + (B -)* excited-state absorption (ESA). The model allowed us to obtain a quantitative fit of the experimental kinetics of the SE near 900-950 nm and the ESA in the 1020nm region of the pheophytin-modified Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 RC (Yakovlev, A. G.; Shkuropatov, A. Ya.; Shuvalov, V. A. FEBS Lett. 2000, 466, 209). By use of the parameters adjusted from the fit, we have obtained a direct visualization of the electron-vibrational wave packet evolution, including the surface-crossing dynamics superimposed with oscillatory motion along two reaction coordinates in the P* and P + Bstates. It is concluded that nonequilibrated vibrational modes involved in electron-transfer play an important role in photoproduct formation in bacterial RC. We found that the specific configuration of two vibrational coordinates (obtained from the modeling) determines high efficiency of charge separation both for coherent and noncoherent excitation.

In Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 reaction centers (RCs) the nuclear wave packet induced by 25 fs excitation at 90 K moves on the primary electron donor P* potential energy hypersurface with initial frequency at approximately 130 cm(-1) (monitored by stimulated emission measurement). At the long-wavelength side of P* stimulated emission at 935 nm the wave packet is transferred to the surface with P(+)B(A)(-) character at 120, 380, 1.2 fs, etc. delays (monitored by measurement of the primary electron acceptor B(A)(-) band at 1020 nm). However, only beginning from 380 fs delay and later the relative stabilization of the state P(+)B(A)(-) is observed. This is accompanied by the electron transfer to bacteriopheophytin H(A) (monitored by H(A) band measurement at 760 nm). The most active mode of 32 cm(-1) in the electron transfer and its overtones up to the seventh were found in the Fourier transform spectrum of the oscillatory part of the kinetics of the P* stimulated emission and of the P(+)B(A)(-) and P(+)H(A)(-) formation. This mode and its overtones are apparently populated via the 130 cm(-1) vibrational mode. The deuteration of the sample shifts the fundamental frequency (32 cm(-1)) and all overtones by the same factor of approximately 1.3. This mode and its overtones are suppressed by a factor of approximately 4.7 in the dry film of RCs. The results obtained indicate that the 32 cm(-1) mode might be related to a rotation of hydrogen-containing groups (possibly the water molecule) participating in the modulation of the primary electron transfer from P* to B(A)(-) in at least 35% of RCs. The Brookhaven Protein Data Bank (1PRC) displays the water molecule located at the position HOH302 between His M200 (axial ligand for P(B)) and the oxygen of ring V of B(A) which might be a part (approximately 35%) of the molecular pathway for electron transfer from P* to B(A).

Formation and coherent propagation of nuclear wavepackets on potential energy surfaces of the excited state of the primary electron donor P and of the charge transfer states P(+)B(A)(-) and P(+)H(A)(-) were studied in native and pheophytin-modified Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 reaction centers (RCs) induced by 25 fs excitation (where B(A) and H(A) are the primary and secondary electron acceptors, respectively). The processes were monitored by measuring coherent oscillations in kinetics of the time evolution of the stimulated emission band of P at 935 nm, of the absorption band of B(A)(-) at 1020 nm, and of the bleaching band of H(A) at 760 nm. It was found that the nuclear wavepacket motion on the 130-140 cm(-1) surface of P is directly induced by light absorption in P. When the wavepacket approaches the intersection between P and P(+)B(A)(-) surfaces at 120 and 380 fs delays, the formation of intermediate mixed-state emitting light at 935 nm (P) and absorbing light at 1020 nm (P(+)B(A)(-)) takes place. At the latter time, the wavepacket is transferred to the 32 cm(-1) mode which can belong to the P hypersurface effectively transferring the wavepacket to the P(+)B(A)(-) surface or can represent a diabatic surface which is formed by the states P and P(+)B(A)(-). The wavepacket motion on the P(+)B(A)(-) surface or on the P(+)B(A)(-) part of the mixing surface is accompanied by irreversible electron transfer to H(A). This process is monitored by the kinetics of 1020 nm band development and 760 nm band bleaching (delayed with respect to 1020 nm band development) which both have the enhanced 32 cm(-1) mode in Fourier transform (FT) spectra. The mechanism of wavepacket transfer from the 130-140 cm(-1) to the 32 cm(-1) mode is discussed.