Search results for "thylakoid"
showing 10 items of 89 documents
The Supramolecular Structure of Photosystem II — Phycobilisome‐Complexes of Porphyridium cruentum
1990
The structure and arrangement of phycobilisomes of the unicellular red alga Porphyridium cruentum is compared with the organization of the thylakoid freeze-fracture particles in order to determine the relationship between phycobilisomes and photosystem II. The hemi-ellipsoidal phycobilisomes, 20 nm thick, are predominantly organized into rows; their centre to centre periodicity is 30–40 nm, so that they are well separated by a gap of 10–20 nm. The phycobilisomes are cleaved by a central faint furrow, parallel to the long axis from top to base. The organization of the exoplasmic particles in rows is similar to the arrangement of the phycobilisomes so that a structural relationship between bo…
Cytochrome F as Indicator for the Interaction of the Two Photosystems in the State 1 and State 2
1990
The transition of plants into a State 1 or a State 2 by an excess of PS I or PS II excitation was described by BONAVENTURA and MYERS [1]. Since the time of their investigations fluorometric methods gained increasing importance in analyzing the distribution of energy between the two photosystems [21. It was possible to correlate the altered energy balance to the phosphorylation of LHCII and it’s migration into non-appressed thylakoid membranes [31. However fluorescence measurements can give only indirect evidences that also changes in the activity of the two photosystems are produced by the changed energy distribution. A direct assessment of the photochemical variations during state transiti…
Changes in the Constitution of Thylakoid Membranes in Spruce Needles During an Open‐top Chamber Experiment
1992
The goal of the presented paper was to study the emission effects of natural air pollutants on the protein complexes of the thylakoid membrane. The tests were carried out in the frame of a long-term experiment in which spruce trees kept in open-top chambers with unfiltered ambient-air were compared to spruce trees in chambers with purified-air. The reaction centres of photosystem I (P-700), cytochrome f, cytochrome b-563, cytochrome b-559, as well as the oxidation speed of the antennae chlorophylls were quantified. The concentrations of the cytochromes f and b-563 indicate a marked annual rhythm with decreased concentrations during the summer months. The spruce trees in chambers with ambien…
Comparative Investigations on the Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain of Spruce (Picea Abies) with Different Degrees of Damage in the Open Air
1988
Several components of the photosynthetic electron transport chain (P-700, cytochrome f, QB-protein) as well as the rate of electron transport and the chlorophyll content of the needles of spruce trees with different degrees of damage were investigated. The investigations were carried out in pair comparison at a location in the Hunsruck (West Germany). The rate of electron transport was determined as photoreduction of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol. Significant damage to the electron transport system is shown in the thylakoids of the damaged trees compared to the less severely damaged trees. In the spruce trees with more damage, the rates of electron transport are significantly lower. The inve…
Changes in the Content of Chlorophyll and Redox Components of the Thylakoid Membrane during Development and Senescence of Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Lea…
1995
Abstract Leaves from 145-year-old and 44-year-old beech trees were harvested during 1991-1993. Chlorophyll (Chl) and redox components of the thylakoid membrane, including P-700, cytochrome f (Cyt f) and D1 protein, were determined with the following results. Chl a + b, P-700 and Cyt f per unit of fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW) and leaf area (LA) increase significantly during leaf development. This can be attributed to a massive membrane synthesis and new thylakoid formation in the cells. The Chl a/Chl b ratio decreases with the synthesis of Chl during the development of beech leaves and is reduced further with Chl breakdown in the stage of senescence. When expressed on the basis of Chl…
Measurements of manganese in thylakoids of Sinapis alba grown under high-light and low-light conditions.
1981
The manganese content of thylakoids and tissues was measured in leaves grown under high- and low-light conditions. Especially when grown in a nutrient medium enriched in manganese (20 μM), the thylakoids contained large amounts of manganese, which could be removed by EDTA washing without impairment of the Hill reaction. The unremovable content of manganese was almost the same in thylakoids from plants grown in nutrient media of normal (2 μM) and reduced (0.2 μM) manganese content. Up to this limit of manganese content, Hill activity did not seem to be impaired. 1.2 atoms Mn per 100 molecules chlorophyll were found in low-light thylakoids and 1.6 atoms Mn in high-light thylakoids. This is si…
Some Critical Remarks on the Suitability of the Concept of the Photosynthetic Unit in Photosynthesis Research and Phytoplankton Ecology
1993
Based on the classical definition of the photosynthetic unit after Emerson and Arnold, new definitions are presented and their consistency subjected to critical reflection. Modern molecular approaches to determine the physiological condition or even the efficiency of the photosynthetic machinery via determination of the magnitude of the photosynthetic unit are discussed against the background of new data on the dynamics of the thylakoid membrane.
Crystallization of Light-Harvesting Complex II From Vicia Faba (Fabaceae)
1998
The most abundant chlorophyll binding complex in plants is the intrinsic light-harvesting complex II (LHC II), comprising about half of the total chlorophyll in thylakoid membranes. The structure of LHC II has been determined by electron crystallography, providing a three-dimensional map at 3.4 A (1). Nevertheless, high-resolution structure based on x-ray crystallography is still missing because of the lack of highly ordered 3-D crystals. While delipidation of membrane proteins suitable for high-quality 3-D crystals seems to be a prerequisite, in case of LHC H delipidation leads to a loss of the ability to crystallize. So far, standard purification methods like chromatography have been proo…
Biochemical indicators for novel forest decline in spruce
1998
Abstract The impact of air pollution on 24 stands of spruce trees in several regions in Germany was investigated. We looked for evidence of biochemical and physiological change at the level of the photosynthetic thylakoid membranes as well as for changes in the antioxidative system in two year old needles. We observed that, as the chlorophyll content decreases in the needles, the amoung of D1 protein declines far more rapidly in relation to the redox components P700 and cytochrome f. Consequently, the PSII/PSI stoichiometry keeps dropping to pregressively lower, meaning unfavorable, values at the chlorophyll content diminishes. This is particularly the case in the higher elevation character…
Kinetic Studies of the Assembly of Plant Light Harvesting Complex II
1998
Photosynthesis relies on the correct assembly of pigment binding proteins within the thylakoid membrane. Yet, very little is known about the folding of such membrane proteins. The biochemical difficulties connected with these highly hydrophobic proteins are reflected in the low number of crystal structures available for membrane proteins to date. One of the few available, however, is that of LCHII (1). In addition, LHCII is one of only a handful of membrane proteins that can be regenerated in vitro to a native-like conformation (2,3). These two features make it a good candidate for studying its folding and assembly kinetics. Here, a preliminary study on the assembly kinetics of LHCII as a f…