The Assembly of Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes in Whole Cells

这个跨学科的项目将结合复杂的生物和结构监测光合膜的组装，功能和调节与动态光谱学的工具，需要记录和分析体内系统的详细功能。这个项目有三个部分。首先，对细胞中光合装置的各个组成部分（光收集复合体和反应中心）进行分析，并在明确规定的条件下对它们的共同作用进行分析，从而产生定量的结构/功能模型。其次，通过改变光照条件，可以改变不同组件的相对数量和可能的组织，从而可以改进模型，使其考虑到设备可以假设的不同架构的范围。最后，将监测光合装置的高阶结构和功能，作为其发育的功能，从有氧条件开始，在有氧条件下，光合装置基本上不存在，并去除启动组件生产和组装的氧气。在这个模型系统中对膜系统组装的理解将有助于更广泛的膜结构/功能关系领域。这个系统可能是独一无二的，因为它的组成部分在结构和功能上都有很好的特征，遗传系统是容易的，并且现在存在的工具可以遵循活细胞中未修饰的膜系统的功能。本项目由物理部生命系统物理学项目和MCB生物分子动力学、结构和功能联合支持。

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.