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Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Spectrophotometric Determination of Phycobiliprotein Content in Cyanobacterium Synechocystis
Published on: September 11, 2018
Characterization, structure and function of linker polypeptides in phycobilisomes of cyanobacteria and red algae: an
Lu-Ning Liu1, Xiu-Lan Chen, Yu-Zhong Zhang
1State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China.
Abstract:
Cyanobacteria and red algae have intricate light-harvesting systems comprised of phycobilisomes that are attached to the outer side of the thylakoid membrane. The phycobilisomes absorb light in the wavelength range of 500-650 nm and transfer energy to the chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Phycobilisomes, which biochemically consist of phycobiliproteins and linker polypeptides, are particularly wonderful subjects for the detailed analysis of structure and function due to their spectral properties and their various components affected by growth conditions. The linker polypeptides are believed to mediate both the assembly of phycobiliproteins into the highly ordered arrays in the phycobilisomes and the interactions between the phycobilisomes and the thylakoid membrane. Functionally, they have been reported to improve energy migration by regulating the spectral characteristics of colored phycobiliproteins. In this review, the progress regarding linker polypeptides research, including separation approaches, structures and interactions with phycobiliproteins, as well as their functions in the phycobilisomes, is presented. In addition, some problems with previous work on linkers are also discussed.
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