Diffusion of light-harvesting complex II in the thylakoid membranes

EMBO Rep. 2005 Aug;6(8):782-6. doi: 10.1038/sj.embor.7400464.

Abstract

The light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) is the main energy absorber for photosynthesis in green plants, and its translocation between photosystems I and II is the primary means of energy redistribution between them. Using single-particle tracking, we performed the first measurement of the mobility of LHCII in the photosynthetic membranes in both the nonphosphorylated and the phosphorylated (P-LHCII) conformations. These are part of an important, reversible, energy re-equilibration process called the state transition. We found that the population of P-LHCII in unappressed membranes is more mobile than the population of non-P-LHCII from the same regions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biophysical Phenomena
  • Biophysics
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Chlorophyll
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism
  • Diffusion
  • Light
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Microscopy, Video
  • Microspheres
  • Models, Molecular
  • Models, Statistical
  • Phosphorylation
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex / metabolism*
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Spinacia oleracea / metabolism
  • Temperature
  • Thylakoids / metabolism*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex
  • Plant Proteins
  • Chlorophyll