The Assembly of Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes in Whole Cells

这个跨学科的项目将结合光合膜组装、功能和调节的复杂生物和结构监测，以及记录和分析体内系统详细功能所需的动态光谱工具。该项目包括三个部分。首先，分析细胞中光合作用装置的各个组成部分(捕光复合体和反应中心)，再加上分析它们在明确定义的条件下的共同作用，将允许生成定量结构/功能模型。接下来，通过改变光制度，可以改变不同组件的相对量和可能的组织，从而使改进模型成为可能，从而使其考虑到设备可以采用的不同体系结构的范围。最后，光合作用装置的高级结构和功能将作为其发展的函数进行监测，从光合作用装置大部分不存在的有氧条件开始，并清除启动组件生产和组装的氧气。了解膜系统在该模型系统中的组装将有助于更广泛的膜结构/功能关系领域。这个系统很可能是独一无二的，因为组件在结构和功能上都有很好的特征，遗传系统很容易，并且现在存在工具来跟踪活细胞中未经修饰的膜系统的功能。这个项目由物理部的生命系统物理学计划和MCB的生物分子动力学、结构和功能共同支持。

This interdisciplinary project will bring together sophisticated biological and structural monitoring of photosynthetic membrane assembly, function and regulation with the tools of dynamic spectroscopy required to record and analyze the detailed function of the in vivo system. There are three parts to the project. First, an analysis of individual components of the photosynthetic apparatus in cells (the light harvesting complexes and the reaction center) coupled with an analysis of their action together under well defined conditions will allow the generation of a quantitative structure/function model. Next, by varying light regimes, it is possible to change the relative amounts and presumably the organization of the different components, making it possible to refine the model so that it takes into account the range of different architectures that the apparatus can assume. Finally, the higher order structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus will be monitored as a function of its development, starting from aerobic conditions where it is largely absent and removing oxygen which initiates the production and assembly of the components. An understanding of membrane system assembly in this model system will aid the much broader field of membrane structure/function relationships. This system is likely unique in the fact that the components are well characterized structurally and functionally, the genetic system is facile, and the tools exist now to follow the function of the unmodified membrane system in living cells.This project is being supported jointly by the Physics of Living Systems Program in the Physics Division and by Biomolecular Dynamics, Structure and Function in MCB.