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In Vitro Reconstitution of Light-harvesting Complexes of Plants and Green Algae

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Antenna chlorophyll a complexes in mutant and developing barley.

J S Brown¹, J M Anderson, L H Grimme

¹Carnegie Institution of Washington, 94305, Stanford, CA, USA.

Photosynthesis Research

|January 25, 2014

Summary

Photosystem I and II antenna chlorophyll distribution differs significantly between barley mutants and wild types. Light-limited growth in wild-type barley alters chlorophyll arrangement in developing membranes.

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Area of Science:

Plant molecular biology
Photosynthesis research
Biophysics of light harvesting

Background:

Chlorophyll a antenna complexes are crucial for light harvesting in Photosystems I and II.
Understanding chlorophyll distribution is key to elucidating photosynthetic efficiency.
Barley mutants and varying light conditions offer insights into antenna complex assembly.

Purpose of the Study:

To isolate and quantify chlorophyll a antenna complexes in Photosystems I and II.
To investigate the impact of a b-less mutation and light-limited growth on chlorophyll distribution.
To analyze the structural arrangement of antenna chlorophylls in developing thylakoid membranes.

Main Methods:

Detergent treatment followed by gel electrophoresis and sucrose gradient centrifugation.
Isolation of Photosystem I and Photosystem II chlorophyll-protein complexes.
Spectroscopic analysis (absorption and fluorescence) and P700 content determination.
Quantification of chlorophyll a proportion using spectral deconvolution.

Main Results:

In the b-less mutant, approximately 70% of chlorophyll a is associated with Photosystem I and 30% with Photosystem II.
In light-limited wild-type barley, nearly 70% of chlorophyll a is associated with Photosystem II.
RESOL analyses revealed abnormal antenna chlorophyll arrangement in light-limited developing membranes, despite functional reaction centers.

Conclusions:

Chlorophyll a antenna distribution is highly sensitive to genetic mutations and environmental light conditions.
Light-limited growth induces significant alterations in the organization of chlorophyll antenna complexes.
Functional reaction centers can exist within abnormally arranged antenna systems, suggesting complex regulatory mechanisms.