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Natural strategies for photosynthetic light harvesting

Nature Chemical Biology volume 10, pages 492–501 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Photosynthetic organisms are crucial for life on Earth as they provide food and oxygen and are at the basis of most energy resources. They have a large variety of light-harvesting strategies that allow them to live nearly everywhere where sunlight can penetrate. They have adapted their pigmentation to the spectral composition of light in their habitat, they acclimate to slowly varying light intensities and they rapidly respond to fast changes in light quality and quantity. This is particularly important for oxygen-producing organisms because an overdose of light in combination with oxygen can be lethal. Rapid progress is being made in understanding how different organisms maximize light harvesting and minimize deleterious effects. Here we summarize the latest findings and explain the main design principles used in nature. The available knowledge can be used for optimizing light harvesting in both natural and artificial photosynthesis to improve light-driven production processes.

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Figure 1: A model of the photosynthetic membrane of higher plants with the four major multi-protein complexes that participate in the light reactions.
Figure 2: Photosynthetic pigments: chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls.
Figure 3: Photosynthetic pigments: phycobilins and carotenoids.
Figure 4: Role of the antenna complexes.
Figure 7: Mechanisms of EET.
Figure 5: Examples of adaptation.
Figure 6: Light-harvesting complexes and tuning of the pigment spectra.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to C. Büchel (Frankfurt University) for providing the spectra of Chl c and fucoxanthin, M. Chen (University of Sidney) for those of Chls d and f, L. Tian and M. Gwizdala (VU Amsterdam) for the spectra of the phycobylins and M. Ferretti (VU Amsterdam) for that of LH2. R.C. is supported by the Dutch organization for scientific research (NWO), Earth and Life Sciences, via a Vici grant and by the European Research Council via an ERC consolidator grant. The authors are also supported by the Dutch Ministry of ELI through the BioSolar Cells Project.

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  1. Department of Biophysics of Photosynthesis/Energy, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Roberta Croce

  2. Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University and Research Center, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Herbert van Amerongen

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Correspondence to Roberta Croce or Herbert van Amerongen.

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Croce, R., van Amerongen, H. Natural strategies for photosynthetic light harvesting. Nat Chem Biol 10, 492–501 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1555

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