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Title: Structure, Function, and Regulation of Antenna Complexes of Green Photosynthetic Bacteria

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:781894

This project is concerned with the structure and function of the chlorosome antennas found in green photosynthetic bacteria. Chlorosomes are ellipsoidal structures attached to the cytoplasmic side of the inner cell membrane. These antenna complexes provide a very large absorption cross section for light capture. Evidence is overwhelming that the chlorosome represents a very different type of antenna from that found in any other photosynthetic system yet studied. It is now clear that chlorosomes do not contain traditional pigment-proteins, in which the pigments bind to specific sites on proteins. Instead, the chlorosome pigments are organized in vivo into pigment oligomers in which direct pigment-pigment interactions are of dominant importance. Our group has used a multidisciplinary approach to investigate this unique system, including model systems, ultrafast spectroscopy, molecular biology, protein chemistry and X-ray crystallography.

Research Organization:
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
(US)
DOE Contract Number:
FG03-97ER20267
OSTI ID:
781894
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 27 Apr 2001
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English