J. Phys. IV France 125 (2005) 765-767
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:2005125176

In situ photoacoustic spectroscopy of phycobiliproteins in Gracilaria chilensis

R. Saavedra¹, M. Figueroa², T. Wandersleben², L. Pouchucq², J.E. Morales¹, M. Bunster² and A. Cruz-Orea<sup>3

1</sup>  Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Concepcion, Casilla 160-C, Concepcion, Chile
²  Laboratorio de Biofisica Molecular, Depto. Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Concepcion, Chile
³  Departamento de Fisica, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, A.P. 14-740, CP 07360, Mexico DF, Mexico

Abstract
Phycobiliproteins, the main polypeptidic components of the phycobilisomes (PBS), are biological macromolecules arranged in complex interaction systems to perform light harvesting and conduction. The optical properties of these systems can hardly be studied by conventional spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore this techniques also involve laborious chemical extraction methods. Photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy was successfully applied to an in situ study of the phycobiliproteins expression in the eukaryotic red algae: Gracilaria chilensis.

© EDP Sciences 2005