Structure and Function of Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

研究光合反应中心结构的目的是为其在太阳能转化中的作用建立分子基础。这包括利用位点特异性诱变研究细胞色素在反应中心上的结合位点的性质，以及细菌中反应中心与光系统II中反应中心之间的关系。光合作用是植物和光合细菌将阳光转化为化学能的过程。这个过程涉及光引发的电子转移反应，发生在一个叫做反应中心的蛋白质复合体中，这是一个膜结合的细菌叶绿素-蛋白质复合体。包括x射线晶体学在内的各种生物物理和结构技术已经对光合细菌的反应中心进行了广泛的研究和表征，开辟了新的研究领域。

The object of this study of the photosynthetic reaction center structure is to establish the molecular basis for its function in solar energy conversion. This involves an investigation of the natue of the binding site for cytochrome on the reaction center using site specific mutagenesis and the realtionship between reaction centers in bacteria and the ones in Photosystem II. Photosynthesis is the process used by plants and photosynthetic bacteria to convert sunlight into chemical energy. This process involves light initiated electron transfer reactions which takes place in a protein complex called the reaction center which is a membrane bound bacteriochlorophyII-protein complex. The reaction centers from photosynthetic bacteria have been extensively studied and well characterized by a variety of biophysical and structural techniques including X-ray crystallography which have opened up new areas of research.