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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

In Vitro Reconstitution of Light-harvesting Complexes of Plants and Green Algae
Published on: October 10, 2014
STRUCTURE AND MEMBRANE ORGANIZATION OF PHOTOSYSTEM II IN GREEN PLANTS
Ben Hankamer1, James Barber, Egbert J. Boekema
1Wolfson Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London SW7 2AY, United Kingdom, Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, NL-9747 AG The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Photosystem II (PSII) is the pigment protein complex embedded in the thylakoid membrane of higher plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that uses solar energy to drive the photosynthetic water-splitting reaction. This chapter reviews the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of PSII as well as the function of its constituent subunits. The understanding of in vivo organization of PSII is based in part on freeze-etched and freeze-fracture images of thylakoid membranes. These images show a resolution of about 40-50 A and so provide information mainly on the localization, heterogeneity, dimensions, and shapes of membrane-embedded PSII complexes. Higher resolution of about 15-40 A has been obtained from single particle images of isolated PSII complexes of defined and differing subunit composition and from electron crystallography of 2-D crystals. Observations are discussed in terms of the oligomeric state and subunit organization of PSII and its antenna components.
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