The heart of photosynthesis in glorious 3D

Trends Biochem Sci. 2001 Jun;26(6):341-4. doi: 10.1016/s0968-0004(01)01874-6.

Abstract

The input of solar energy into photosynthesis, and thence into the biosphere, occurs via chlorophyll-containing proteins known as reaction centres. There are two kinds of reaction centre in oxygenic photosynthesis: photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII). The PSII reaction centre, alias the oxygen-evolving enzyme, the water-oxidizing complex or the water-plastoquinone photo-oxidoreductase, has now been crystallized and its structure solved to a resolution of 3.8 A.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalytic Domain
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytochromes / chemistry
  • Cytochromes / metabolism
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Manganese / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Photosynthesis*
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / chemistry*
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / metabolism
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Cytochromes
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex
  • Manganese