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Progress towards structural elucidation of Photosystem II

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Abstract

In recent years Photosystem II, and in particular the oxygen evolving component of the enzyme, have been the subject of intense biochemical and biophysical analysis. To date no high resolution structural model of the complex has been produced. As a consequence unambiguous interpretation of much experimental data has proven difficult, leading to a lack of consensus over many basic questions regarding the mechanisms involved, the oligomerization state of the enzyme in vivo and even the exact biochemical composition.

This review is a summary of the progress towards the production of a structural model of PS II-derived from either X-ray crystallography or electron microscopy based techniques-and the current opinions, which have arisen from these structural analyses, on the structural topology and assemblage of the various subunits that constitute the complex.

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Abbreviations

C12-M:

dodecyl maltoside

CP:

chlorophyll protein

cyt b-559:

cytochrome b-559

DMPC:

dimyristoyl phosphatidyl choline

EC:

electron crystallography

EM:

electron microscopy

LHC II:

light harvesting complex II

OEC:

oxygen evolving complex

OG:

octyl-β-glucopyranoside

PS I:

Photosystem I

PS II:

Photosystem II

Tris:

N-tris (hydroxymethyl) amino ethane

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. M. Müller Institute for Microscopical Structure Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstr. 70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland

    Georgios Tsiotis

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, P.O. Box 1470, 71409, Iraklion, Crete, Greece

    Gerry McDermott & Demetrios Ghanotakis

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  1. Georgios Tsiotis
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  2. Gerry McDermott
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  3. Demetrios Ghanotakis
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Tsiotis, G., McDermott, G. & Ghanotakis, D. Progress towards structural elucidation of Photosystem II. Photosynth Res 50, 93–101 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014881

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