Acyl lipids in the supramolecular chlorophyll-protein complexes of photosystems - isolation artifacts or integral components regulating their structure and functions?

Abstract

The precise nature of interactions between the chloropnyll-protein complexes related to photosystem I or photosystem II and the acyl lipids in the thylakoid membranes is not yet fully elucidated. Analyses of the lipid content of isolated photosystem supramolecular complexes reveal that they are integral components of these complexes. However, the relations between certain acyl lipids and the specific structure and functions of the complexes investigated are still widely discussed. The most generally accepted phenomenon is the fact of participation of phosphatidylglycerol containing the unique trans-Δ3 -hexadecenoic acid in the oligomerization of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex II.

Keywords

• acyl lipids
• chlorophyll-protein complexes
• photosystems
• thylakoid membranes