Coordination Funds

光合作用的电子传递是由多亚单位色素-蛋白质复合体介导的，这些复合体位于一个特殊的膜系统中，称为类囊体膜系统。尽管对这些复合体的结构和功能有详细的了解，但对它们在类囊体膜生物发生过程中的组装知之甚少。这一过程的新画面描绘了一个高度有序的组装因子支架，它以一种循序渐进的方式整合了蛋白质和有机以及无机辅助因子的结合。最近的工作也表明，光合作用复合体的生产线是从生物膜亚室开始的，从那里通过离散和保守的组装中间体来产生功能能量转换装置。FOR2092研究单位已着手通过应用多学科、系统的方法，结合分子遗传学、生物化学、生物物理学和超微结构分析的独特专业知识，解开类囊体膜生物发生时空组织的分子原理。这一概念包括对一组合适的模式生物进行比较研究，使人们能够遵循从原始蓝藻到维管植物叶绿体的完整进化路径来发展类囊体体复杂性。通过关注不同的组装因子及其工作模式的时空组织，FOR2092成员的联合力量最近发现了类囊体类生物发生的各种新的分子方面。这些发现包括光系统II和光系统I组装的细节、类囊体膜蛋白的膜插入、有机和无机辅助因子的掺入以及生物膜结构的形成。此外，遗传和生化方法都发现了类囊体类生物发生复杂的组装因子网络的几个新成分。总之，这些证据现在为进行生物发生过程的全面研究奠定了坚实的基础，这将得到无色素ATPase复合体的比较分析以及对类囊体类囊体超微结构的原位最新研究的补充。该联盟设想，通过回答不同的组装过程在类囊体类囊体成熟过程中如何、何时、何地发生和整合的问题，开发基于知识的战略，在广泛的光合作用模式生物中有针对性地修改生物发生过程将在未来成为可能。

Photosynthetic electron transport is mediated by multi-subunit pigment-protein complexes which are situated in a specialized membrane system, named thylakoids. Despite a detailed knowledge on the structure and function of these complexes, little is known on their assembly during thylakoid membrane biogenesis. The emerging picture of this process depicts a highly-ordered scaffold of assembly factors that integrates the incorporation of proteins and organic as well as inorganic co-factors in a step-wise manner. Recent work has also indicated that the production line for photosynthetic complexes is initiated at biogenic membrane sub-compartments from where it proceeds via discrete and conserved assembly intermediates to generate a functional energy converting apparatus. The FOR2092 Research Unit has set out to disentangle the molecular principles of the spatiotemporal organization of thylakoid membrane biogenesis by applying a multidisciplinary, systematic approach combining unique expertise in molecular genetics, biochemistry, biophysics and ultrastructural analyses. The concept includes the comparative investigation of a set of suitable model organisms that enables one to follow the complete evolutionary path for the development of thylakoid complexity from primordial cyanobacteria to chloroplasts of vascular plants. By focusing on distinct assembly factors and the spatiotemporal organization of their working mode, the joined forces of FOR2092 members have recently discovered a variety of new molecular aspects of thylakoid biogenesis. The findings include details of photosystem II and photosystem I assembly, membrane insertion of thylakoid proteins, organic and inorganic co-factor incorporation and formation of biogenic membrane structures. In addition, both genetic and biochemical approaches have identified several new components of the intricate assembly factor network for thylakoid biogenesis. In sum, this obtained body of evidence now forms the solid basis for a proceeding comprehensive study of the biogenesis process which will be complemented by comparative analysis of the pigment-free ATPase complex as well as state-of-the-art studies on thylakoid ultrastructure in situ. The consortium envisions that by answering the questions how, where and when the different assembly processes take place and are integrated during thylakoid maturation, the development of knowledge-based strategies for the targeted modification of the biogenesis process in a broad set of photosynthetic model organisms will become feasible in the future.