Role of nanodomains in compartmentalisation of electron transport functions in plant photosynthetic membranes.

纳米域在植物光合膜电子传递功能划分中的作用。

• 批准号: 1800811
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Sheffield
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-1800811
• 关键词: Role; nanodomains; compartmentalisation; electron; transport

Life on earth depends on photosynthesis, the source of all of our food, oxygen and most of our energy. The early steps of photosynthesis involve trapping of solar energy by electron transfer (ET) reactions in the photosynthetic membrane. Recent advances have shown using atomic force microscopy and fluorescence excitation spectroscopy have revealed an unexpected compartmentalization of ET components in the photosynthetic membrane within specific nanodomains, 50-100 nm in size. Compartmentalization was suggested to improve ET efficiency by closely grouping cognate components, thereby facilitating rapid ET in the severely protein crowded membrane, while separating components of competing pathways. However, due to their extreme fragility such ET nanodomains have proved resistant to purification. This project will make use of the latest advances in in vivo crosslinking and mass spectrometry to characterise the structural components of ET nanodmomains and determine their exact ET function. The PhD would offer the candidate a board interdisciplinary training in modern biochemistry purification techniques, mass spectrometry and fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy with the opportunity to interact with biologists, physicists and chemical engineers during the course of their project.

地球上的生命依赖于光合作用，它是我们所有食物、氧气和大部分能量的来源。光合作用的早期步骤涉及通过光合膜中的电子转移（ET）反应捕获太阳能。最近的进展表明，使用原子力显微镜和荧光激发光谱法已经揭示了在特定的纳米结构域，50-100 nm的大小内的光合作用膜中的ET组分的意想不到的区室化。区室化建议通过紧密分组同源组分来提高ET效率，从而促进在严重蛋白质拥挤的膜中快速ET，同时分离竞争途径的组分。然而，由于它们的极端脆弱性，这种ET纳米结构域已被证明对纯化具有抗性。本项目将利用体内交联和质谱的最新进展来鉴定ET纳米丝蛋白的结构组分并确定其确切的ET功能。博士学位将为候选人提供现代生物化学纯化技术，质谱，荧光和吸收光谱学方面的跨学科培训，并有机会在项目过程中与生物学家，物理学家和化学工程师进行互动。