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The aerial shoot pigments of three epiphytic mistletoes and their hosts were examined and the results were found to concur with earlier reports. Emphasis was placed on the mistletoe Phoradendron juniperinum. Absorbance spectroscopy indicated a very similar ratio of pigments in both the aerial tissue of the mistletoe and its juniper host. Spectroscopic examination found the presence of chlorophyll in the endophytic tissue of the genus Phoradendron for the first time. Total chlorophyll concentrations of the endophytic tissue of Phoradendronjuniperinum were found to be approximately 10% that of aerial shoots. However, chlorophyll alb ratios of endophytic tissue were 40% of those in aerial tissue. The dwarf mistletoe Arceuthobium tsugense was found to have about 1/3 the chi content of its host and of the two Phoradendron species examined. However, the endophytic concentrations of chlorophyll of A. tsugense were 250% higher than those found in compatible Phoradendron tissue. Ultrastructural inspection of Phoradendron juniperinum revealed chloroplasts of the aerial shoots to be typical of C3 plants, yet they were small and contained little relative stroma lamella. This is characteristic of plants with unequal complement of the two photosystems. Examination of the endophytic system indicated that the most likely source of the chlorophyll to be plastids with enlarged thylakoid channels. These plastids were termed endophytic-chloroplasts Experiments were performed to establish whether the synthesis of the chlorophyll within the endophytic system was via a light-independent pathway or by means of light penetration into mistletoe tissue and stimulation of the typical angiosperm light-dependent pathway. However, results as to the biosynthesis of chlorophyll were inconclusive. These experiments did indicate that chlorophyll was still present in endophytic tissue of Phoradendron juniperinwn after 11 months without aerial shoots, whether enclosed in complete darkness or not. Microscopic examination of tissue did not revile the presence of any light conductive tissues in either the parasite or its host.

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The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus WH7803 adapts to changes in light intensity by changing its photosynthetic physiology. This work is a study o f the rate o f photoadaptation of Synechococcus WH7803 in laboratory cultures. Cultures were shifted from constant 8 µEm-2s-1 light to constant 80 µEm-2s-1 light, from constant 80 µEm-2s-1 light to 8 µEm-2s-1 light and from different light regimes to a single fluctuating light regime. The response of high iron cultures grown in modified aquil culture medium at 5*10-6M Fe was compared with the response of low iron cultures grown in modified aquil medium at 1*10-6M Fe. Cultures were assayed every 2 days for at least 10 days, assaying cell population density by fluorescence microscopy, chlorophyll a by spectrophotometry of acetone extracts, total protein by the bicinchoninic acid method, and photosynthesis vs. irradiance (P vs. I) response by H14CO3 uptake at 10 light intensities. Iron nutrition did not strongly affect the rate of photoadaptation as determined from the slopes of P vs. I curves as light approaches zero (the parameter called alpha). The rate of chlorophyll a synthesis was the parameter most strongly affected by iron nutrition, slowing in restricted iron medium. Based on alpha per cell, the adaptation time to the shift from constant 8 µEm-2s -1 light to constant 80 µEm-2s -1 light was less than 2 days. Based on other culture parameters the time to complete adaptation may be closer to 8 days. Based on alpha per cell, the adaptation time to the shift from constant 80 µEm-2s -1 light to constant 8 µEm-2s -1 light was on the order of 2 days. Based on other culture parameters the time to complete adaptation may exceed 10 days.

The sacoglossan sea slug Elysia clarki is able to photosynthesize for three to four months using chloroplasts sequestered from its algal food sources. Furthermore, the slug is able to store multiple chloroplasts from different algal species within the same cell. This research, consisting of several related studies, explores the role that provision of organic nutrients via photosynthesis plays in the biology of the slug. The first chapter demonstrates that, under conditions of starvation, photosynthetic activity in E. clarki remains fully functional for one month after which it then declines. During the first month of starvation the slug exhibits similar feeding behavior as slugs provided a continuous supply of food, suggesting that photosynthesis delays the onset of starvation-induced behavioral changes. The second chapter explores E. clarki's spatial relationships with algae known to be food sources in the field. In areas with high slug density, edible algal populations were very low. DNA barcoding was employed to demonstrate that the algae found near slugs were poor predictors of which foods were actually consumed by slugs. Generally, there was a mismatch between algae available in the field and slug diets. The third chapter explores how E. clarki is able to maintain photosynthesis. After labeling with a C14 ALA incubation process, then chlorophyll was extracted from slugs and purified using HPLC. Results indicate that recently collected E. clarki are able to synthesize chlorophyll, whereas slugs starved for 3 months were not. Photosynthesis plays a very important role for E. clarki and its relationships with food algae.

M.Sc. / Donor-acceptor (D-A) systems consist of a donor covalently or non-covalently linked to an acceptor. The simplest D–A system consists of a donor linked to an acceptor and is called a dyad system. Photoactive dyad systems are molecular devices designed to perform through the separation of charge separation states and the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy in analogy to photosynthesis.1 These dyad systems consist of a donor which is usually a chromophore and an acceptor. The design of these systems is guided to mimic photo-induced electron transfer (PET) and charge separation (CS), which are fundamental processes of photosynthesis. In nature, photosynthetic units are often built from dyads consisting of pigments like chlorophyll (donors), non–covalently linked to quinones, (acceptors). The donor harvests light energy and transfers the energy to the nearby pigment molecules until it eventually reaches a special region of the chlorophyll macrocycle called the reaction centre where this light energy is then converted to electrochemical energy. Photoactive dyad systems act as artificial photosynthetic models as they reproduce photo–induced electron transfer and charge separation of natural photosynthesis. In this project, dyad systems were made by covalently linking zinc pheophorbide, a modified chlorophyll derivative to double–walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs). Zinc pheophorbide acts as the donor and DWCNTs as the acceptors. Chlorophyll was modified by cutting the phytol chain and inserting zinc as the central metal to yield zinc pheophorbide. This derivative is stable against irradiation, has a good range of acceptor wavelength and is also a good light harvester. DWCNTs are one dimensional nanowires with two concentric tubes. They readily accept electrons because they have an extended π electron system. These electrons are then transported efficiently under ballistic conditions. DWCNTs were synthesised by catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) of methane over Mg0.99Co0.075Mo0.025O catalyst. In dyad system 1, amidated zinc pheophorbide molecules were covalently attached to oxidised DWCNTs in the presence of N–ethyl–N’–(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) \ and N–hydroxysuccinnimide (NHS) as a catalysts. Dyad system 2 was synthesized by attaching zinc pheophorbide molecules to amidated DWCNTs using the same catalysts.