Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Shen, Jian-Ren

Titel

The Structure of Photosystem II and the Mechanism of Water Oxidation in Photosynthesis

Ist Teil von

• Annual review of plant biology, 2015-04, Vol.66 (1), p.23-48

Ort / Verlag

United States: Annual Reviews

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Oxygenic photosynthesis forms the basis of aerobic life on earth by converting light energy into biologically useful chemical energy and by splitting water to generate molecular oxygen. The water-splitting and oxygen-evolving reaction is catalyzed by photosystem II (PSII), a huge, multisubunit membrane-protein complex located in the thylakoid membranes of organisms ranging from cyanobacteria to higher plants. The structure of PSII has been analyzed at 1.9-Å resolution by X-ray crystallography, revealing a clear picture of the Mn 4 CaO 5 cluster, the catalytic center for water oxidation. This article provides an overview of the overall structure of PSII followed by detailed descriptions of the specific structure of the Mn 4 CaO 5 cluster and its surrounding protein environment. Based on the geometric organization of the Mn 4 CaO 5 cluster revealed by the crystallographic analysis, in combination with the results of a vast number of experimental studies involving spectroscopic and other techniques as well as various theoretical studies, the article also discusses possible mechanisms for water splitting that are currently under consideration.