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Significance of molecular crowding in grana membranes of higher plants for light harvesting by photosystem II

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Abstract

Significance of molecular crowding in grana thylakoids of higher plants on photosystem II function was studied by ‘titrating’ the naturally high protein density by fusing unilamellar liposomes of the native lipid mixture with isolated grana membranes (BBY). The incorporation of lipids was monitored by equilibrium density gradient centrifugation and two-dimensional thin layer chromatography. The excitonic coupling between light-harvesting (LHC) II and photosystem (PS) II was analysed by chlorophyll a fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence parameters Fv/Fm and Fo clearly depend on the protein density indicating the importance of molecular crowding for establishing an efficient excitonic protein network. In addition the strong dependency of Fo on the protein density reveals weak interactions between LHCII complexes which could be important for dynamic adjustment of the photosynthetic apparatus in higher plants.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

Chlorophyll

DGDG:

Digalactosyldiacylglycerol

Fo:

Prompt chlorophyll α fluorescence level (QA oxidised)

Fm:

Maximal chlorophyll α fluorescence level (QA reduced)

Fv:

Variable chlorophyll α fluorescence level

HII:

Hexagonal phase II of MGDG

L:

Lipid

LHC:

Light harvesting complex

LUV:

Large unilamellar vesicle

MGDG:

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol

PG:

Phosphatidylglycerol

PS:

Photosystem

SQDG:

Sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerol

TLC:

Thin layer chromatography

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Acknowledgements

HK and SH are supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (KI818/2-1 and 2-2, KI818/3-1 and KI818/4-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plantphysiology, Institute of Botany, Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet, Schlossgarten 3, 48149, Muenster, Germany

    Silvia Haferkamp & Helmut Kirchhoff

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  1. Silvia Haferkamp
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  2. Helmut Kirchhoff
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Correspondence to Silvia Haferkamp or Helmut Kirchhoff.

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Haferkamp, S., Kirchhoff, H. Significance of molecular crowding in grana membranes of higher plants for light harvesting by photosystem II. Photosynth Res 95, 129–134 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-007-9253-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-007-9253-2

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