title: Structure of biological solar energy converters - further revelations.
abstract: Photosynthetic organisms harvest solar energy by absorbing light and ultimately transferring energy through a cascade of chemical reactions to power all cellular processes. Core components initiating this reaction cascade are the photosynthetic reaction centres Photosystem I and Photosystem II. Two recent publications on the structure of the reaction centres by Adam Ben-Shem et al. and Kristina Ferreira et al. represent a big step towards understanding the evolutionary development of the core energy conversion process and identifying the site of the water oxidation process, the source of atmospheric oxygen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University College London, Gower St, London, UK WC1E 6BT.
authors.forename: Jonathan H A
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Mike C W
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013472:Sunlight; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D014867:Water; D010100:Oxygen