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Photosystem I at 4 Å resolution represents the first structural model of a joint photosynthetic reaction centre and core antenna system

Nature Structural Biology volume 3, pages 965–973 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

The 4 Å X-ray structure model of trimeric photosystem I of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus reveals 31 transmembrane, nine surface and three stromal α-helices per monomer, assigned to the 11 protein subunits: PsaA and PsaB are related by a pseudo two-fold axis normal to the membrane plane, along which the electron transfer pigments are arranged. 65 antenna chlorophyll a (Chl a) molecules separated by ≤16 Å form an oval, clustered net, continuous with the electron transfer chain through the second and third Chl a pairs of the electron transfer system. This suggests a dual role for these Chl a both in excitation energy and electron transfer. The architecture of the protein core indicates quinone and iron-sulphur type reaction centres to have a common ancestor.

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  1. Institut für Kristallographie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 0-14195, Berlin, Germany

    Norbert Krauß, Wolf-Dieter Schubert, Olaf Klukas & Wolfram Saenger

  2. Max-Volmer-lnstitut für biophysikalische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße-des-17.Juni 135, D-10623, Berlin, Germany

    Petra Fromme & Horst Tobias Witt

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Krauß, N., Schubert, WD., Klukas, O. et al. Photosystem I at 4 Å resolution represents the first structural model of a joint photosynthetic reaction centre and core antenna system. Nat Struct Mol Biol 3, 965–973 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsb1196-965

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