The fucoxanthin-chlorophyll proteins from a chromophyte alga are part of a large multigene family: structural and evolutionary relationships to other light harvesting antennae.
A fucoxanthin-chlorophyll protein (FCP) cDNA from the raphidophyte Heterosigma carterae encodes a 210-amino acid polypeptide that has similarity to other FCPs and to the chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (CABs) of terrestrial plants and green algae. The putative transit sequence has characteristics that resemble a signal sequence. The Heterosigma fcp genes are part of a large multigene family which includes members encoding at least two significantly different polypeptides (Fcp1, Fcp2). Comparison of the FCP sequences to the recently determined three-dimensional structure of the pea LHC II complex indicates that many of the key amino acids thought to participate in the binding of chlorophyll and the formation of complex-stabilizing ionic interactions are well conserved. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences of light-harvesting proteins shows that the FCPs of several chromophyte phyla form a natural group separate from the intrinisic peridinin-chlorophyll proteins (iPCPs) of the dinoflagellates: Although the FCP and CAB genes shared a common ancestor, these lineages diverged from each other prior to the separation of the CAB LHC I and LHC II sequences in the green algae and terrestrial plants.
Durnford
D G
DG
Botany Dept., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Aebersold
R
R
Green
B R
BR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D024341:Xanthophylls
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D024341:Xanthophylls; C088752:fucoxanthin-, chlorophyll a-c-containing protein; C025164:fucoxanthin; D002734:Chlorophyll; C064041:chlorophyll c; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077194:Chlorophyll A