Crystallization of the Light-Harvesting Chlorophyll a/b Complex within Thylakoid Membranes

• Published in: The Journal of cell biology Vol. 100; no. 4; pp. 1139 - 1147
• Main Authors: Lyon, Mary K., Miller, Kenneth R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Rockefeller University Press 01.04.1985; The Rockefeller University Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cell structures and functions; Chlorophyll; chlorophyll a/b protein; Chlorophylls; Chloroplast, photosynthetic membrane and photosynthesis; Chloroplasts; Chloroplasts - drug effects; Chloroplasts - ultrastructure; Crystal lattices; Crystallization; Crystals; Detergents; Fabaceae; Fluorescence; Freeze Fracturing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; Intracellular Membranes - ultrastructure; Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; light-harvesting proteins; Macromolecular Substances; Microscopy, Electron; Molecular and cellular biology; P branes; Photosynthesis; Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; Photosystem I Protein Complex; Photosystem II Protein Complex; Plant Proteins; Plants, Medicinal; Polyethylene Glycols - pharmacology; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; thylakoid membranes; Thylakoids; Photosystem 2; Light harvesting system; Solubilization; Thylakoid; Crystallization

We have found that treatment of the photosynthetic membranes of green plants, or thylakoids, with the nonionic detergent Triton X-114 at a 10:1 ratio has three effects: (a) photosystem I and coupling factor are solubilized, so that the membranes retain only photosystem II (PS II) and its associated...