Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

In Vitro Reconstitution of Light-harvesting Complexes of Plants and Green Algae
Published on: October 10, 2014
An amino-proximal hydrophobic domain in the major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein is essential for membrane
1Biology Department, University of California, 90024-1606, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract:
The major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein (LHCP) of higher plant chloroplasts is a nuclearencoded, integral thylakoid membrane protein that binds photosynthetic pigments and occurs in situ in an oligomeric form. We have previously examined structural and functional domains of the mature apoprotein by use of mutant LHCPs and in vitro assays for uptake and insertion. Results presented here demonstrate the effects of several mutations in the amino terminal domain of the mature apoprotein. Deletion of amino acid residues 12-58 greatly affected import into chloroplasts, while deletion or alteration of the hydrophobic region E(65)VIHARWAM(73) led to rapid degradation of the mutant LHCP. We suggest that this amino-proximal region is essential for the stability of the LHCP and its ability to integrate into the thylakoid membranes. A structural/functional relationship of this region to a previously examined hydrophobic carboxy-proximal domain [Kohorn and Tobin (1989), The Plant Cell 1, 159-166] is proposed.
More Related Videos
12:25Isolation of Physiologically Active Thylakoids and Their Use in Energy-Dependent Protein Transport Assays
Published on: September 28, 2018
10:31Residue-Specific Exchange of Proline by Proline Analogs in Fluorescent Proteins: How "Molecular Surgery" of the Backbone Affects Folding and Stability
Published on: February 3, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Protein Transport to the Thylakoids
Protein Transport to the Outer Chloroplast Membrane
Two models describe the mechanism of precursor recognition and entry across the outer membrane through the TOC complex. Model 1 suggests the newly synthesized precursor binds to the TOC receptor 159 and forms a complex.
Protein Transport to the Stroma
Protein complexes called the translocon of the outer chloroplast membrane or TOC complex, and the translocon of the inner chloroplast membrane or TIC complex mediate the...
Protein Transport to the Inner Chloroplast Membrane
The Antenna Complex
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...