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

The Antenna Complex01:15

The Antenna Complex

7.6K
Plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprise pigments capable of absorption of direct sunlight. These pigments are present in the reaction center - the main site of photochemical reactions as well as in the antenna complex. Under average light conditions, the rate at which reaction center pigments absorb light is far below the electron transport chain's capacity. As a result, the reaction center alone cannot provide enough energy to drive photosynthesis. The photosynthetic efficiency can...
7.6K
Photosystem II01:22

Photosystem II

78.4K
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...
78.4K
Photosystems01:32

Photosystems

6.9K
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...
6.9K
Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

69.4K
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...
69.4K
Protein Transport to the Thylakoids01:22

Protein Transport to the Thylakoids

2.9K
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...
2.9K
Protein Complex Assembly02:41

Protein Complex Assembly

16.6K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types.  Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
16.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Concurrent Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula and Varicella-Zoster Virus Meningoencephalitis Unmasked by Corticosteroid-Associated Deterioration: A Case Report on the Diagnostic Value of Serial mNGS.

Current medical imaging·2026
Same author

Author Correction: A broadly protective antibody targeting gammaherpesvirus gB.

Nature·2026
Same author

"Air-Lock" gating mechanism of CsoS1D for metabolite translocation through the α-carboxysome shell.

Plant physiology·2026
Same author

Filum Terminale Arteriovenous Fistula Manifesting as a Tortuous Filum Terminale.

Neurology·2026
Same author

Molecular insights into dynamic RNA quaternary assemblies.

RNA biology·2026
Same author

The architecture and energy transfer pathways of PSI-LHCI-LHCII in the phototrophic flagellate Euglena gracilis.

Nature communications·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Purification of Active Photosystem I-Light Harvesting Complex I from Plant Tissues
07:10

Purification of Active Photosystem I-Light Harvesting Complex I from Plant Tissues

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.6K

Assembly mechanism of PSII-LHCII array from higher plants.

Jianghao Wu1, Cang Wu2, Shuaijiabin Chen2,3

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, The Zhongzhou Laboratory for Integrative Biology, Henan Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China.

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology
|October 15, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Researchers uncovered how Photosystem II-light harvesting complex II (PSII-LHCII) supercomplexes assemble into arrays in plants. This reveals dynamic mechanisms for efficient light energy transfer and regulation in fluctuating light conditions.

Keywords:
PSII arrayassemblylight acclimationphotosynthesis

More Related Videos

In Vitro Reconstitution of Light-harvesting Complexes of Plants and Green Algae
11:55

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

Published on: October 10, 2014

18.9K
Isolating and Incorporating Light-Harvesting Antennas from Diatom Cyclotella Meneghiniana in Liposomes with Thylakoid Lipids
11:28

Isolating and Incorporating Light-Harvesting Antennas from Diatom Cyclotella Meneghiniana in Liposomes with Thylakoid Lipids

Published on: August 28, 2018

8.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Purification of Active Photosystem I-Light Harvesting Complex I from Plant Tissues
07:10

Purification of Active Photosystem I-Light Harvesting Complex I from Plant Tissues

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.6K
In Vitro Reconstitution of Light-harvesting Complexes of Plants and Green Algae
11:55

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

Published on: October 10, 2014

18.9K
Isolating and Incorporating Light-Harvesting Antennas from Diatom Cyclotella Meneghiniana in Liposomes with Thylakoid Lipids
11:28

Isolating and Incorporating Light-Harvesting Antennas from Diatom Cyclotella Meneghiniana in Liposomes with Thylakoid Lipids

Published on: August 28, 2018

8.1K

Area of Science:

  • Plant molecular biology
  • Photosynthesis research
  • Structural biology

Background:

  • Photosystem II (PSII) forms diverse supercomplexes with light-harvesting complexes (LHCII) in grana thylakoids.
  • PSII array organization, assembly, and energy transfer regulation in vascular plants are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structural basis of PSII array formation and energy transfer mechanisms in Arabidopsis.
  • To investigate the dynamic assembly of PSII-LHCII supercomplexes.

Main Methods:

  • Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine structures of PSII-LHCII complexes.
  • Structural and genetic analyses.
  • Computational calculations and spectral analysis.

Main Results:

  • Determined structures of a 1.4-MDa PSII-LHCII dimer and a 2.8-MDa tetramer, with a model for a hexamer.
  • Revealed tetramer formation via dimer arrangement driven by CP26/PsbZ and M-LHCII interactions.
  • Identified conformational changes in M-LHCII and CP24 facilitating assembly transitions.
  • Demonstrated enhanced energy transfer efficiency in tetramers compared to dimers through chlorophyll rearrangement.

Conclusions:

  • Provided novel insights into the dynamic assembly of PSII arrays in higher plants.
  • Elucidated mechanisms for excitation energy redistribution within PSII arrays.
  • Advanced understanding of how plants adapt to fluctuating light via PSII-LHCII organization.