Crystal Structures of Virus-like Photosystem I Complexes from the Mesophilic Cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803

Overview

Journal Elife

Specialty Biology

Date 2014 Jan 30

PMID 24473073

Citations 25

Authors

Yuval Mazor

Daniel Nataf

Hila Toporik

Nathan Nelson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Oxygenic photosynthesis supports virtually all life forms on earth. Light energy is converted by two photosystems-photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII). Globally, nearly 50% of photosynthesis takes place in the Ocean, where single cell cyanobacteria and algae reside together with their viruses. An operon encoding PSI was identified in cyanobacterial marine viruses. We generated a PSI that mimics the salient features of the viral complex, named PSI(PsaJF). PSI(PsaJF) is promiscuous for its electron donors and can accept electrons from respiratory cytochromes. We solved the structure of PSI(PsaJF) and a monomeric PSI, with subunit composition similar to the viral PSI, providing for the first time a detailed description of the reaction center and antenna system from mesophilic cyanobacteria, including red chlorophylls and cofactors of the electron transport chain. Our finding extends the understanding of PSI structure, function and evolution and suggests a unique function for the viral PSI. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01496.001.

Citing Articles

Development of a TSR-based method for understanding structural relationships of cofactors and local environments in photosystem I.

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Lighting the way: Compelling open questions in photosynthesis research.

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Investigating the Balance between Structural Conservation and Functional Flexibility in Photosystem I.

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High-Resolution Frequency-Domain Spectroscopic and Modeling Studies of Photosystem I (PSI), PSI Mutants and PSI Supercomplexes.

Zazubovich V, Jankowiak R Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(7).

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Indirect interactions involving the PsbM or PsbT subunits and the PsbO, PsbU and PsbV proteins stabilize assembly and activity of Photosystem II in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

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