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.
Su
Hai-Nan
HN
The State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China.
Xie
Bin-Bin
BB
Zhang
Xi-Ying
XY
Zhou
Bai-Cheng
BC
Zhang
Yu-Zhong
YZ
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