The supramolecular architecture, function, and regulation of thylakoid membranes in red algae: an overview.
Red algae are a group of eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms. Phycobilisomes (PBSs), which are composed of various types of phycobiliproteins and linker polypeptides, are the main light-harvesting antennae in red algae, as in cyanobacteria. Two morphological types of PBSs, hemispherical- and hemidiscoidal-shaped, are found in different red algae species. PBSs harvest solar energy and efficiently transfer it to photosystem II (PS II) and finally to photosystem I (PS I). The PS I of red algae uses light-harvesting complex of PS I (LHC I) as a light-harvesting antennae, which is phylogenetically related to the LHC I found in higher plants. PBSs, PS II, and PS I are all distributed throughout the entire thylakoid membrane, a pattern that is different from the one found in higher plants. Photosynthesis processes, especially those of the light reactions, are carried out by the supramolecular complexes located in/on the thylakoid membranes. Here, the supramolecular architecture, function and regulation of thylakoid membranes in red algal are reviewed.
The State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China.
Hai-Nan
HN
Su
Bin-Bin
BB
Xie
Xi-Ying
XY
Zhang
Bai-Cheng
BC
Zhou
Yu-Zhong
YZ
Zhang
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D004735:Energy Transfer; D010788:Photosynthesis; D045524:Phycobilisomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000378:metabolism*; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
D045524:Phycobilisomes