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Summary: www.stke.org/cgi/content/full/sigtrans;2002/155/pe43 Page 1
A protein kinase catalyzes phosphorylation of the
chlorophyll-protein complex, light-harvesting complex
II (LHC II), one of the most abundant membrane pro-
teins in the world.Apart from an ingenious redox regu-
latory function that makes photosynthesis more effi-
cient, what do we know about this elusive enzyme?
Plants and algae have evolved a range of mecha-
nisms to deal with the variations in the quality and in-
tensity of light that they encounter over the course of
each day. The time scales of these processes vary
from a few milliseconds to hours, depending on the
type and level of the response. Within chloroplasts,
environmental light conditions affect the photochemi-
cal reactions of photosynthesis, posttranslational pro-
tein modifications, and gene expression. Light condi-
tions also affect nuclear transcription, cytosolic trans-
lation, and import of precursor proteins into chloro-
plasts. In order to maximize the efficiency of photo-
synthesis and to minimize damage to the delicate in-
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