The PsbK subunit is required for the stable assembly and stability of other small subunits in the PSII complex in the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1.
PsbK is a small membrane protein of the PSII core complex and is highly conserved from cyanobacteria to plants. Here, we studied its role in the thermophilic cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1, by focusing on a psbK disruptant with hexahistidine-tagged CP47. The psbK disruptant showed photoautotrophic growth comparable with that of the wild type under a wide range of light conditions. The mutant PSII complex retained the oxygen-evolving activity with a unique modification of the acceptor Q(B) site. N-terminal sequencing revealed that Ycf12 and PsbZ proteins were lost in the PSII complex prepared from the mutant. Immunoblotting detected reduced accumulation of PsbZ in the mutant thylakoid. These results suggest that PsbK is required not only for association of PsbZ and Ycf12 with the isolated PSII complex but also for the stabilization of PsbZ in the thylakoid membrane.
Iwai
Masako
M
Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510 Japan. masakoi@brandeis.edu
Suzuki
Takehiro
T
Kamiyama
Akiko
A
Sakurai
Isamu
I
Dohmae
Naoshi
N
Inoue
Yasunori
Y
Ikeuchi
Masahiko
M
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D021122:Protein Subunits; C061381:psbK protein, cyanobacteria