Iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis in photosynthetic organisms

Dorothea Kessler1, Jutta Papenbrock

  • 1Biochemiezentrum Heidelberg, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

Photosynthesis Research
|December 6, 2005
PubMed

Related Concept Videos

Anoxygenic Photosynthesis01:30

Anoxygenic Photosynthesis

Anoxygenic photosynthesis is a phototrophic process that captures light energy to drive carbon fixation without producing molecular oxygen. Unlike oxygenic photosynthesis, which utilizes water as an electron donor and releases oxygen, anoxygenic phototrophs use alternative electron donors such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), elemental sulfur (S⁰), or thiosulfate (S₂O₃²⁻). This process is carried out by diverse groups of bacteria, including purple bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, heliobacteria, and...
Origin of Photosynthesis01:26

Origin of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis represents a fundamental biological process that transformed Earth's atmosphere and paved the way for complex life. Emerging roughly 3.4–3.8 billion years ago, the earliest photosynthetic organisms harnessed light energy to produce organic compounds. These anoxygenic phototrophs used electron donors like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) or ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), rather than water, and did not release molecular oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct. Various groups, including green sulfur and purple...
Sulfur Assimilation01:20

Sulfur Assimilation

Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to become...
Photosystems01:32

Photosystems

Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in the membrane of tiny sac-like structures called thylakoids placed inside the chloroplast.
Functioning of Photosystems
Photosystems contain many pigment molecules, such as chlorophylls and carotenoids, arranged in a particular organization across two domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria01:28

Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria

Anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria are a diverse group of microorganisms that perform photosynthesis without producing oxygen. They primarily include purple sulfur bacteria, purple nonsulfur bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, and green nonsulfur bacteria. These bacteria are classified into the Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Chlorobi, and Chloroflexi lineages, each with distinct physiological and ecological adaptations.Purple sulfur bacteria belong to the...
Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

Although structurally similar to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI) is has a different electron supplier and electron acceptor.
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...