In situ structure of the red algal phycobilisome–PSII–PSI–LHC megacomplex

Xin You, Xing Zhang, Jing Cheng, Yanan Xiao, Jianfei Ma, Shan Sun, Xinzheng Zhang (), Hong-Wei Wang () and Sen-Fang Sui ()
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Xin You: Tsinghua University
Xing Zhang: Tsinghua University
Jing Cheng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yanan Xiao: Southern University of Science and Technology
Jianfei Ma: Tsinghua University
Shan Sun: Tsinghua University
Xinzheng Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hong-Wei Wang: Tsinghua University
Sen-Fang Sui: Tsinghua University

Nature, 2023, vol. 616, issue 7955, 199-206

Abstract: Abstract In oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, light energy is captured by antenna systems and transferred to photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI) to drive photosynthesis1,2. The antenna systems of red algae consist of soluble phycobilisomes (PBSs) and transmembrane light-harvesting complexes (LHCs)3. Excitation energy transfer pathways from PBS to photosystems remain unclear owing to the lack of structural information. Here we present in situ structures of PBS–PSII–PSI–LHC megacomplexes from the red alga Porphyridium purpureum at near-atomic resolution using cryogenic electron tomography and in situ single-particle analysis4, providing interaction details between PBS, PSII and PSI. The structures reveal several unidentified and incomplete proteins and their roles in the assembly of the megacomplex, as well as a huge and sophisticated pigment network. This work provides a solid structural basis for unravelling the mechanisms of PBS–PSII–PSI–LHC megacomplex assembly, efficient energy transfer from PBS to the two photosystems, and regulation of energy distribution between PSII and PSI.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05831-0

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