Structure-function relationships in photosynthetic membranes: Challenges and emerging fields. (January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kirchhoff, Helmut
• Is Part Of: Plant science. Volume 266(2018)
• Page Start: 76
• Page End: 82
• Publication Date: 2018-01
• Subjects: Photosynthesis -- Thylakoid membranes -- Supramolecular -- Lipid-protein interactions; Botany -- Periodicals; Botanique -- Périodiques; 580
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.09.021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0168-9452

Abstract

Highlights: The structure of photosynthetic membranes is highly responsive to environmental conditions, constantly changing their shape. Switching the photosystem II arrangement to a semi-crystalline state controls lateral diffusion and light harvesting. Dynamic changes of lipid bilayer properties control the supramolecular organization of proteins in photosynthetic membranes. Abstract: Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental biological process that shaped the earth's biosphere. The process of energy transformation is hosted in highly specialized thylakoid membranes that adjust their architecture in response to environmental cues at different structural levels leading to the adjustment of photosynthetic functions. This review presents structure-function dynamics ranging from the whole membrane system over the mesoscopic level (protein ensembles) down to interactions between lipids and protein complexes. On the whole membrane level, thylakoid membranes constantly change their overall shape (e.g. membranes swell and shrink or destack and stack) that controls vital functions of energy transformation. Furthermore, the physical connection and transition between stacked grana thylakoid and unstacked membrane regions that determines mass transport between these sub-compartments is a crucial open question. On the mesoscopic level, it turns out that reorganizations between disordered and ordered protein arrangements is central for light harvesting and lateral diffusion processes. It has to be unraveled how changes in mesoscopic protein organization are controlled. Finally, dynamic physicochemical properties of the lipid bilayer can determine the structure and organization of photosynthetic membrane proteins, a field that is highly neglected so far. This review focusses on open questions and challenging problems in photosynthesis research.