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Structure of PSI, PSII and antennae complexes from yellow-green alga Xanthonema debile

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Abstract

Photosynthetic carbon fixation by Chromophytes is one of the significant components of a carbon cycle on the Earth. Their photosynthetic apparatus is different in pigment composition from that of green plants and algae. In this work we report structural maps of photosystem I, photosystem II and light harvesting antenna complexes isolated from a soil chromophytic alga Xanthonema debile (class Xanthophyceae). Electron microscopy of negatively stained preparations followed by single particle analysis revealed that the overall structure of Xanthophytes’ PSI and PSII complexes is similar to that known from higher plants or algae. Averaged top-view projections of Xanthophytes’ light harvesting antenna complexes (XLH) showed two groups of particles. Smaller ones that correspond to a trimeric form of XLH, bigger particles resemble higher oligomeric form of XLH.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

Chlorophyll

HEPES:

4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid

DEAE:

Diethyaminoethyl

DM:

n-Dodecyl-β-d-maltoside

EM:

Electron microscopy

FCP:

Fucoxanthin-chlorophyll proteins

LHCI:

Light-harvesting complex of photosystem I

LHCII:

Light-harvesting complex of photosystem II

PSI:

Photosystem I

PSII:

Photosystem II

SDS-PAGE:

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank F. Matoušek and I. Hunalová for their technical support. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic MSM6007665808, AV0Z50510513, and Grant GAAV IAA601410907.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Centre ASCR, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Zdenko Gardian & František Vácha

  2. Institute of Physical Biology, University of South Bohemia, Zámek 136, 373 33, Nové Hrady, Czech Republic

    Zdenko Gardian & František Vácha

  3. Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Josef Tichý & František Vácha

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  1. Zdenko Gardian
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  2. Josef Tichý
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  3. František Vácha
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Correspondence to František Vácha.

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Gardian, Z., Tichý, J. & Vácha, F. Structure of PSI, PSII and antennae complexes from yellow-green alga Xanthonema debile . Photosynth Res 108, 25–32 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-011-9647-z

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