By using time-dependent density functional theory combined with the polarizable continuum model, asatisfactory assignment of the absorption and circular dichroism spectra and energy transfer flow of the
-subunitin C-phycocyanin (C-PC) was achieved when the protonation of
-84 and
-155 phycocyanobilin (PCB) andtheir interaction with the protein moiety in C-PC have been taken into account. We attribute the main peakfor both
-84 and
-155 as arising from the
electron excitation of the pyrrole rings and the shoulder peakas arising from the charge transfer from the asparate residue to PCBH
+. The satisfactory agreement betweentheory and experiment suggests that Förster resonance theory prevails such that energy transfer occurs from
s (
-155) to
f (
-84).