STRUCTURE-FUNCTION OF MEMBRANE PROTEIN COMPLEXES INVOLVED IN OXYGENIC PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Three aspects of the electron transport chain have been investigated in the present studies: (i) structure-function studies of the central proton-electron conducting cytochrome b₆fcomplex, focusing on the effect of lipids in structural stabilization and electron transfer function; (ii) transmembrane electron transfer pathways in the cytochrome b₆fand mitochondrial cytochrome bc₁complexes, determined by heterogeneity in the internal polarity of the membrane protein complexes; and (iii) purification and characterization of a novel ~1 MDa supercomplex, dominated by the presence of photosystem I (PSI), ATP-synthase and ferredoxin-NADP⁺reductase (FNR) from higher plant system Spinacea.