Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Anatomy of Chloroplasts01:07

Anatomy of Chloroplasts

122.9K
Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor chloroplasts—the vital organelles where photosynthesis takes place. In plants, the highest density of chloroplasts is found in the mesophyll cells of leaves.
122.9K
The Anatomy of Chloroplasts01:08

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

9.2K
Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor specialized organelles called chloroplasts to carry out photosynthesis. They coordinate both stages of photosynthesis — the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions use sunlight to release oxygen and produce chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions capture CO2 and use ATP and NADPH to produce sugar.
Structure of...
9.2K
Protein Transport to the Thylakoids01:22

Protein Transport to the Thylakoids

3.1K
Thylakoids are membrane-bound sac-like structures within the chloroplast that serve as sites for photosynthesis. Thylakoid lumen contains many electron transport proteins and is enclosed by a thylakoid membrane rich in the light-harvesting complex. Proteins targeted to the thylakoids are transported as precursors and are sorted by the general TOC/TIC import pathway. Once the precursor reaches the stroma, stromal processing peptidases remove their transit signal and expose thylakoid signal...
3.1K
Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

71.7K
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...
71.7K
Photosystem II01:22

Photosystem II

80.5K
The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across  two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment...
80.5K
Photosystems01:32

Photosystems

8.5K
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...
8.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Far-red chlorophyll d clusters extend photosystem I absorption toward the red limit.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Exploring the Structural Diversity and Evolution of the D1 Subunit of Photosystem II Using AlphaFold and Foldtree.

Physiologia plantarum·2025
Same author

Structure and evolution of photosystem I in the early-branching cyanobacterium <i>Anthocerotibacter panamensis</i>.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Probing substrate water access through the O1 channel of Photosystem II by single site mutations and membrane inlet mass spectrometry.

Photosynthesis research·2025
Same author

Structure and evolution of Photosystem I in the early-branching cyanobacterium <i>Anthocerotibacter panamensis</i>.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Lighting the way: Compelling open questions in photosynthesis research.

The Plant cell·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy
13:52

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

13.4K

Thylakoid membrane function in heterocysts.

Ann Magnuson1, Tanai Cardona2

  • 1Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120, Uppsala, Sweden.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|November 8, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cyanobacteria form specialized heterocysts for nitrogen fixation. This review explores heterocyst thylakoid membranes and their bioenergetics, crucial for nitrogenase function.

Keywords:
CyanobacteriaHeterocystsNitrogen fixationPhotosystem IPhotosystem IIPhycobilisome

More Related Videos

Isolation of Physiologically Active Thylakoids and Their Use in Energy-Dependent Protein Transport Assays
12:25

Isolation of Physiologically Active Thylakoids and Their Use in Energy-Dependent Protein Transport Assays

Published on: September 28, 2018

11.4K
Analysis of Thylakoid Membrane Protein Complexes by Blue Native Gel Electrophoresis
08:12

Analysis of Thylakoid Membrane Protein Complexes by Blue Native Gel Electrophoresis

Published on: September 28, 2018

13.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy
13:52

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

13.4K
Isolation of Physiologically Active Thylakoids and Their Use in Energy-Dependent Protein Transport Assays
12:25

Isolation of Physiologically Active Thylakoids and Their Use in Energy-Dependent Protein Transport Assays

Published on: September 28, 2018

11.4K
Analysis of Thylakoid Membrane Protein Complexes by Blue Native Gel Electrophoresis
08:12

Analysis of Thylakoid Membrane Protein Complexes by Blue Native Gel Electrophoresis

Published on: September 28, 2018

13.8K

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Biochemistry
  • Photosynthesis and Bioenergetics

Background:

  • Multicellular cyanobacteria differentiate vegetative cells into heterocysts under nitrogen limitation.
  • Heterocysts are specialized for atmospheric nitrogen fixation, requiring significant morphological and protein expression changes.
  • These cells maintain a microoxic environment via a polysaccharide layer and respiratory enzymes to protect nitrogenase.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the thylakoid membrane's role in heterocysts.
  • To compare heterocyst and vegetative cell thylakoid membrane functions.
  • To broaden understanding of heterocyst bioenergetics using recent omics and electron transfer data.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review synthesizing existing research.
  • Analysis of high-throughput proteomic and transcriptomic data.
  • Integration of recent findings on electron transfer pathways in cyanobacteria.

Main Results:

  • Heterocysts undergo significant thylakoid membrane reorganization and differential protein expression.
  • Photosynthetic electron transport in heterocysts supplies ATP and reductants for nitrogenase.
  • Upregulation of specific respiratory enzymes contributes to the microoxic environment.

Conclusions:

  • The thylakoid membrane is central to heterocyst function and bioenergetics.
  • Understanding heterocyst bioenergetics is key to optimizing nitrogen fixation.
  • Recent data offer new perspectives on electron transfer and energy dynamics in heterocysts.