title: Structural and functional alterations of cyanobacterial phycobilisomes induced by high-light stress.
abstract: Exposure of cyanobacterial or red algal cells to high light has been proposed to lead to excitonic decoupling of the phycobilisome antennae (PBSs) from the reaction centers. Here we show that excitonic decoupling of PBSs of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is induced by strong light at wavelengths that excite either phycobilin or chlorophyll pigments. We further show that decoupling is generally followed by disassembly of the antenna complexes and/or their detachment from the thylakoid membrane. Based on a previously proposed mechanism, we suggest that local heat transients generated in the PBSs by non-radiative energy dissipation lead to alterations in thermo-labile elements, likely in certain rod and core linker polypeptides. These alterations disrupt the transfer of excitation energy within and from the PBSs and destabilize the antenna complexes and/or promote their dissociation from the reaction centers and from the thylakoid membranes. Possible implications of the aforementioned alterations to adaptation of cyanobacteria to light and other environmental stresses are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tamary
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Reinat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nevo
authors.forename: Zach
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernát
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rexroth
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rögner
authors.forename: Ziv
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Reich
mesh_terms: D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000528:radiation effects; D036681:Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching; D008027:Light; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008954:Models, Biological; D045524:Phycobilisomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055503:Protein Multimerization / Q000528:radiation effects; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D046939:Synechocystis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D045524:Phycobilisomes