藻类捕光天线系统:结构与功能的统一

藻类是光合自养的水生孢子植物,为了适应水下弱光的特殊生境,藻类捕光天线历经亿万年的进化,形成了特殊的结构与功能.从发现藻类捕光天线的存在到至今的70多年间,其结构解析技术的发展共经历了4个阶段:首先是利用生化及普通光谱技术研究结构组成(1950-1980年);其次是利用X-ray晶体学技术研究局部精细结构(1980年至...

Algal light-harvesting system:Linkage of structures and functions by using structural biology

Algae are general term of a large group of photoautotrophic aquatic sporophytes.Along with the long earth history,the algal light-harvesting antenna has evolved special structure and function,to adapt to low-light underwater environment.Since the algal light-harvesting antennas were first discovered 70 years ago,the progress of structural analysis can be divided into four stages.The first stage was from 1950 to 1980,and effects were focused on studying the structural composition of light-harvesting antenna through biochemical and spectral techniques.The second stage was from 1980 to the present,and X-ray crystallization becomes a primary tool to study the partial fine-structure of the complete complex.The third stage was from 1980 to 2010.In this stage,complete contour structure can be studied by using electron microscope(EM).The fourth stage is from 2010 to the present,and the use of cryo-EM technology to studied intact fine-structure has brought the blowout period of structural analysis in recent year.With the rapid development of cryo-EM technology,a variety of complete fine-structures of algal lightharvesting antenna complexes have been analyzed,including cyanobacteria,red algae,green algae,and diatoms.Specifically,in 2019,multiple super-molecular complex structures of algal light-harvesting antenna were resolved.This breakthrough provides us valuable structure information for the study of energy transfer and the unified relationship between structure and function.However,the synthetic understanding of the relationship between the structure,function,environment,and applications of algal light-harvesting antennas is still preliminary,compared to the huge demand of solar energy utilization from bio-materials.Therefore,further research on the light adaptability of light-harvesting proteins has become the focus of the future,and will provide a sufficient scientific basis for the application of algal light-harvesting antenna proteins in the field of photoelectric devices.