Light fantastic: Crystal structure of photosystem I

Photosystem I is a large protein complex embedded within the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane. Together with photosystem II it catalyses the light-induced steps in oxygenic photosynthesis in cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae and higher plants. The three-dimensional structure of photosystem I, probably the largest membrane protein to have been crystallized, has now been determined to 2.5 Å resolution. The complexity required to catalyse high-efficiency capture of light and electron transfer is illustrated by the fact that each of the three subunits of photosystem I includes 12 proteins, 96 chlorophyll molecules, iron and calcium ions and over 200 water molecules.

Three-dimensional structure of cyanobacterial photosystem I at 2.5 Å resolution
PATRICK JORDAN, PETRA FROMME, HORST TOBIAS WITT, OLAF KLUKAS, WOLFRAM SAENGER & NORBERT KRAUSS
Nature 411, 909-917 (21 June 2001)
| Summary | Full Text | PDF (976 K) | Supplementary Information |

Structural biology: Chlorophylls galore
WERNER KÜHLBRANDT
A high-resolution crystal structure of photosystem I, part of the machinery that performs photosynthesis, reveals how an extensive array of chlorophylls uses solar energy to transport electrons.
Nature 411, 896-899 (21 June 2001)
| Full Text | PDF (112 K) |

21 June 2001 table of contents