Structure of the maize photosystem I supercomplex with light-harvesting complexes I and II

Science. 2018 Jun 8;360(6393):1109-1113. doi: 10.1126/science.aat1156.

Abstract

Plants regulate photosynthetic light harvesting to maintain balanced energy flux into photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII). Under light conditions favoring PSII excitation, the PSII antenna, light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), is phosphorylated and forms a supercomplex with PSI core and the PSI antenna, light-harvesting complex I (LHCI). Both LHCI and LHCII then transfer excitation energy to the PSI core. We report the structure of maize PSI-LHCI-LHCII solved by cryo-electron microscopy, revealing the recognition site between LHCII and PSI. The PSI subunits PsaN and PsaO are observed at the PSI-LHCI interface and the PSI-LHCII interface, respectively. Each subunit relays excitation to PSI core through a pair of chlorophyll molecules, thus revealing previously unseen paths for energy transfer between the antennas and the PSI core.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chlorophyll / chemistry
  • Cryoelectron Microscopy
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / chemistry*
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / ultrastructure
  • Photosynthesis*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / chemistry*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / ultrastructure
  • Protein Conformation
  • Zea mays / enzymology*

Substances

  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Chlorophyll