title: A Key Role of Xanthophylls That Are Not Embedded in Proteins in Regulation of the Photosynthetic Antenna Function in Plants, Revealed by Monomolecular Layer Studies.
abstract: The main physiological function of LHCII (light-harvesting pigment-protein complex of photosystem II), the largest photosynthetic antenna complex of plants, is absorption of light quanta and transfer of excitation energy toward the reaction centers, to drive photosynthesis. However, under strong illumination, the photosynthetic apparatus faces the danger of photodegradation and therefore excitations in LHCII have to be down-regulated, e.g., via thermal energy dissipation. One of the elements of the regulatory system, operating in the photosynthetic apparatus under light stress conditions, is a conversion of violaxanthin, the xanthophyll present under low light, to zeaxanthin, accumulated under strong light. In the present study, an effect of violaxanthin and zeaxanthin on the molecular organization and the photophysical properties of LHCII was studied in a monomolecular layer system with application of molecular imaging (atomic force microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy) and spectroscopy (UV-Vis absorption, FTIR, fluorescence spectroscopy) techniques. The results of the experiments show that violaxanthin promotes the formation of supramolecular LHCII structures preventing dissipative excitation quenching while zeaxanthin is involved in the formation of excitonic energy states able to quench chlorophyll excitations in both the higher (B states) and lower (Q states) energy levels. The results point to a strategic role of xanthophylls that are not embedded in a protein environment, in regulation of the photosynthetic light harvesting activity in plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University , 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Welc
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University , 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luchowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University , 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grudzinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University , 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puzio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University , 20-031 Lublin, Poland.|Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University , Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sowinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University , 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Wieslaw I
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8245-3913
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Gruszecki
mesh_terms: D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D007700:Kinetics; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry*; D032305:Lycium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D031427:Narcissus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D010788:Photosynthesis; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D013499:Surface Properties; D013816:Thermodynamics; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000737:chemistry; D065146:Zeaxanthins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D014867:Water; C005613:violaxanthin