Ultrafast carotenoid band shifts probe structure and dynamics in photosynthetic antenna complexes

We report observations of ultrafast carotenoid band shifts correlated with energy transfer dynamics between bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) molecules within the peripheral light-harvesting complex (LH2) from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Direct excitation of the bacteriochlorophyll Q(y) bands yielded distinct changes in the carotenoid S₂ absorption from 430 to 530 nm. Transient absorption spectra and kinetics were measured in a femtosecond pump-probe experiment, revealing the ultrafast carotenoid response to excited BChl pigments. These data are an indication of a new property of carotenoids that is manifested as a unique ability to detect and report changes in their immediate environment, thereby serving as sensitive probes of local structure and dynamics.