Identification of a specific fucoxanthin-chlorophyll protein in the light harvesting complex of photosystem I in the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana.
Thylakoids of the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana were separated by discontinuous gradient centrifugation into photosystem (PS) I, PSII, and fucoxanthin-chlorophyll protein (FCP) fractions. FCPs are homologue to light harvesting complexes of higher plants with similar function in e.g. brown algae and diatoms. Still, it is unclear if FCP complexes are specifically associated with either PSI or PSII, or if FCP complexes function as one antenna for both photosystems. However, a trimeric FCP complex, FCPa, and a higher FCP oligomer, FCPb, have been described for C. meneghiniana, already. In this study, biochemical and spectroscopical evidences are provided that reveal a different subset of associated Fcp polypeptides within the isolated photosystem complexes. Whereas the PSII associated Fcp antenna resembles FCPa since it contains Fcp2 and Fcp6, at least three different Fcp polypeptides are associated with PSI. By re-solubilisation and a further purification step Fcp polypeptides were partially removed from PSI and both fractions were analysed again by biochemical and spectroscopical means, as well as by HPLC. Thereby a protein related to Fcp4 and a so far undescribed 17 kDa Fcp were found to be strongly coupled to PSI, whereas presumably Fcp5, a subunit of the FCPb complex, is only loosely bound to the PSI core. Thus, an association of FCPb and PSI is assumed.
Veith
Thomas
T
Institute for Molecular Bio Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, SiesmayerstraBe 70, D-60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Brauns
Jan
J
Weisheit
Wolfram
W
Mittag
Maria
M
Büchel
Claudia
C
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017377:Diatoms / Q000378:metabolism*; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex; C088752:fucoxanthin-, chlorophyll a-c-containing protein