Structural basis for assembly and function of a diatom photosystem I-light-harvesting supercomplex

Nat Commun. 2020 May 18;11(1):2481. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16324-3.

Abstract

Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) play a pivotal role in collecting solar energy for photochemical reactions in photosynthesis. One of the major LHCs are fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (FCPs) present in diatoms, a group of organisms having important contribution to the global carbon cycle. Here, we report a 2.40-Å resolution structure of the diatom photosystem I (PSI)-FCPI supercomplex by cryo-electron microscopy. The supercomplex is composed of 16 different FCPI subunits surrounding a monomeric PSI core. Each FCPI subunit showed different protein structures with different pigment contents and binding sites, and they form a complicated pigment-protein network together with the PSI core to harvest and transfer the light energy efficiently. In addition, two unique, previously unidentified subunits were found in the PSI core. The structure provides numerous insights into not only the light-harvesting strategy in diatom PSI-FCPI but also evolutionary dynamics of light harvesters among oxyphototrophs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chlorophyll / metabolism
  • Chlorophyll Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Chlorophyll Binding Proteins / ultrastructure
  • Diatoms / metabolism*
  • Energy Transfer
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / chemistry*
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / metabolism*
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / ultrastructure
  • Models, Molecular
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / chemistry*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / metabolism*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / ultrastructure
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Chlorophyll Binding Proteins
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Protein Subunits
  • Chlorophyll