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Probing phycobilisome structure by immuno-electron microscopy

Journal Article · · J. Phycol.; (United States)
By immuno-electron microscopy it was shown that phycoerythrin is located on the outer surface of the phycobilisome and allophycocyanin is on the inside near the photosynthetic membrane in the red alga Porphyridium purpureum (Bory) Drew and Ross (P. cruentum). These findings are consistent with the idea that the phycobilisome functions as a light harvesting antennae and energy sink, which directs the energy to chlorophyll in the photosynthetic membrane. A technique was devised in which unfixed phycobilisomes, attached to thylakoid vesicles, were separately reacted with three monospecific antisera (to B-phycoerythrin, R-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin) and the reaction products were secondarily marked by reaction with ferritin-conjugated goat-antirabbit gamma globulin fraction. This was subsequently followed by glutaraldehyde fixation and staining with phosphotungstic acid. The entire procedure was carried out on an electron microscope grid. The results confirm the previously proposed phycobilisome structural model.
Research Organization:
Smithsonian Institution, Rockville, MD
OSTI ID:
6753466
Journal Information:
J. Phycol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Phycol.; (United States) Vol. 13; ISSN JPYLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English