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Title: The structural and functional domains of plant thylakoid membranes

Journal Article · · The Plant Journal
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14127· OSTI ID:1735375

In plants, the stacking of part of the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane generates two main subcompartments: the stacked grana core and unstacked stroma lamellae. However, a third distinct domain, the grana margin, has been postulated but its structural and functional identity remains elusive. Here, an optimized thylakoid fragmentation procedure combined with detailed ultrastructural, biochemical, and functional analyses reveals the distinct composition of grana margins. It is enriched with lipids, cytochrome b6f complex, and ATPase while depleted in photosystems and light–harvesting complexes. A quantitative method is introduced that is based on Blue Native Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (BN–PAGE) and dot immunoblotting for quantifying various photosystem II (PSII) assembly forms in different thylakoid subcompartments. The results indicate that the grana margin functions as a degradation and disassembly zone for photodamaged PSII. In contrast, the stacked grana core region contains fully assembled and functional PSII holocomplexes. The stroma lamellae, finally, contain monomeric PSII as well as a significant fraction of dimeric holocomplexes that identify this membrane area as the PSII repair zone. In conclusion, this structural organization and the heterogeneous PSII distribution support the idea that the stacking of thylakoid membranes leads to a division of labor that establishes distinct membrane areas with specific functions.

Research Organization:
Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0017160
OSTI ID:
1735375
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1481441
Journal Information:
The Plant Journal, Vol. 97, Issue 3; ISSN 0960-7412
Publisher:
Society for Experimental BiologyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 47 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Comparative analysis of thylakoid protein complexes in state transition mutants nsi and stn7: focus on PSI and LHCII journal January 2020
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Genetic and Physiological Dissection of Photosynthesis in Barley Exposed to Drought Stress journal December 2019