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Frontiers in Plant Science 2023As the most suitable potential clean energy power generation technology, biophotovoltaics (BPV) not only inherits the advantages of traditional photovoltaics, such as... (Review)
Review
As the most suitable potential clean energy power generation technology, biophotovoltaics (BPV) not only inherits the advantages of traditional photovoltaics, such as safety, reliability and no noise, but also solves the disadvantages of high pollution and high energy consumption in the manufacturing process, providing new functions of self-repair and natural degradation. The basic idea of BPV is to collect light energy and generate electric energy by using photosynthetic autotrophs or their parts, and the core is how these biological materials can quickly and low-loss transfer electrons to the anode through mediators after absorbing light energy and generating electrons. In this mini-review, we summarized the biological materials widely used in BPV at present, mainly cyanobacteria, green algae, biological combinations (using multiple microorganisms in the same BPV system) and isolated products (purified thylakoids, chloroplasts, photosystem I, photosystem II), introduced how researchers overcome the shortcomings of low photocurrent output of BPV, pointed out the limitations that affected the development of BPV' biological materials, and put forward reasonable assumptions accordingly.
PubMed: 37615025
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1151131 -
Biophysical Reviews Oct 2023Water is a primary source of electrons and protons for photosynthetic organisms. For the production of hydrogen through the process of mimicking natural photosynthesis,... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Water is a primary source of electrons and protons for photosynthetic organisms. For the production of hydrogen through the process of mimicking natural photosynthesis, photosystem II (PSII)-based hybrid photosynthetic systems have been created, both with and without an external voltage source. In the past 30 years, various PSII immobilization techniques have been proposed, and redox polymers have been created for charge transfer from PSII. This review considers the main components of photosynthetic systems, methods for evaluating efficiency, implemented systems and the ways to improve them. Recently, low-overpotential catalysts have emerged that do not contain precious metals, which could ultimately replace Pt and Ir catalysts and make water electrolysis cheaper. However, PSII competes with semiconductor analogues that are less efficient but more stable. Methods originally created for sensors also allow for the use of PSII as a component of a photoanode. To date, charge transfer from PSII remains a bottleneck for such systems. Novel data about action mechanism of artificial electron acceptors in PSII could develop redox polymers to level out mass transport limitations. Hydrogen-producing systems based on PSII have allowed to work out processes in artificial photosynthesis, investigate its features and limitations.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12551-023-01139-5.
PubMed: 37975003
DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01139-5 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Mar 2024Thermophilic cyanobacteria are prokaryotic photoautotrophic microorganisms capable of growth between 45 and 73 °C. They are typically found in hot springs where they... (Review)
Review
Thermophilic cyanobacteria are prokaryotic photoautotrophic microorganisms capable of growth between 45 and 73 °C. They are typically found in hot springs where they serve as essential primary producers. Several key features make these robust photosynthetic microbes biotechnologically relevant. These are highly stable proteins and their complexes, the ability to actively transport and concentrate inorganic carbon and other nutrients, to serve as gene donors, microbial cell factories, and sources of bioactive metabolites. A thorough investigation of the recent progress in thermophilic cyanobacteria reveals a significant increase in the number of newly isolated and delineated organisms and wide application of thermophilic light-harvesting components in biohybrid devices. Yet despite these achievements, there are still deficiencies at the high-end of the biotechnological learning curve, notably in genetic engineering and gene editing. Thermostable proteins could be more widely employed, and an extensive pool of newly available genetic data could be better utilised. In this manuscript, we attempt to showcase the most important recent advances in thermophilic cyanobacterial biotechnology and provide an overview of the future direction of the field and challenges that need to be overcome before thermophilic cyanobacterial biotechnology can bridge the gap with highly advanced biotechnology of their mesophilic counterparts. KEY POINTS: • Increased interest in all aspects of thermophilic cyanobacteria in recent years • Light harvesting components remain the most biotechnologically relevant • Lack of reliable molecular biology tools hinders further development of the chassis.
Topics: Biotechnology; Cyanobacteria; Genetic Engineering; Gene Editing; Photosynthesis
PubMed: 38512481
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13082-w -
IScience Sep 2023We establish a general kinetic scheme for energy transfer and trapping in the photosystem I (PSI) of cyanobacteria grown under white light (WL) or far-red light (FRL)...
We establish a general kinetic scheme for energy transfer and trapping in the photosystem I (PSI) of cyanobacteria grown under white light (WL) or far-red light (FRL) conditions. With the help of simultaneous target analysis of all emission and transient absorption datasets measured in five cyanobacterial strains, we resolved the spectral and kinetic properties of the different species present in PSI. WL-PSI can be described by Bulk Chl , two Red Chl , and a reaction center compartment (WL-RC). The FRL-PSI contains two additional Chl compartments. The lowest excited state of the FRL-RC is downshifted by ≈ 29 nm. The rate of charge separation drops from ≈900 ns in WL-RC to ≈300 ns in FRL-RC. The delayed trapping in the FRL-PSI (≈130 ps) is explained by uphill energy transfer from the Chl compartments with Gibbs free energies of ≈kT below that of the FRL-RC.
PubMed: 37680463
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107650 -
Cell Dec 2023Photosynthesis is central to food production and the Earth's biogeochemistry, yet the molecular basis for its regulation remains poorly understood. Here, using...
Photosynthesis is central to food production and the Earth's biogeochemistry, yet the molecular basis for its regulation remains poorly understood. Here, using high-throughput genetics in the model eukaryotic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we identify with high confidence (false discovery rate [FDR] < 0.11) 70 poorly characterized genes required for photosynthesis. We then enable the functional characterization of these genes by providing a resource of proteomes of mutant strains, each lacking one of these genes. The data allow assignment of 34 genes to the biogenesis or regulation of one or more specific photosynthetic complexes. Further analysis uncovers biogenesis/regulatory roles for at least seven proteins, including five photosystem I mRNA maturation factors, the chloroplast translation factor MTF1, and the master regulator PMR1, which regulates chloroplast genes via nuclear-expressed factors. Our work provides a rich resource identifying regulatory and functional genes and placing them into pathways, thereby opening the door to a system-level understanding of photosynthesis.
Topics: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Chloroplasts; Photosynthesis; Gene Expression Regulation; Proteins; Mutation; Ribosomes; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 38065083
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.007 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms use Photosystem II (PSII) to oxidize water and reduce plastoquinone. Here, we review the mechanisms by which PSII is assembled and... (Review)
Review
Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms use Photosystem II (PSII) to oxidize water and reduce plastoquinone. Here, we review the mechanisms by which PSII is assembled and turned over in the model green alga . This species has been used to make key discoveries in PSII research due to its metabolic flexibility and amenability to genetic approaches. PSII subunits originate from both nuclear and chloroplastic gene products in . Nuclear-encoded PSII subunits are transported into the chloroplast and chloroplast-encoded PSII subunits are translated by a coordinated mechanism. Active PSII dimers are built from discrete reaction center complexes in a process facilitated by assembly factors. The phosphorylation of core subunits affects supercomplex formation and localization within the thylakoid network. Proteolysis primarily targets the D1 subunit, which when replaced, allows PSII to be reactivated and completes a repair cycle. While PSII has been extensively studied using as a model species, important questions remain about its assembly and repair which are presented here.
PubMed: 38592843
DOI: 10.3390/plants13060811 -
Biophysical Reviews Oct 2023Reversible protein phosphorylation is one of the comprehensive mechanisms of cell metabolism regulation in eukaryotic organisms. The review describes the impact of the... (Review)
Review
Reversible protein phosphorylation is one of the comprehensive mechanisms of cell metabolism regulation in eukaryotic organisms. The review describes the impact of the reversible protein phosphorylation on the regulation of growth and development as well as in adaptation pathways and signaling network in higher plant cells. The main part of the review is devoted to the role of the reversible phosphorylation of light-harvesting proteins of photosystem II and the state transition process in fine-tuning the photosynthetic activity of chloroplasts. A separate section of the review is dedicated to comparing the mechanisms and functional significance of state transitions in higher plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that allows the evolution aspects of state transitions meaning in various organisms to be discussed. Environmental factors affecting the state transitions are also considered. Additionally, we gain insight into the possible influence of STN7-dependent phosphorylation of the target proteins on the global network of reversible protein phosphorylation in plant cells as well as into the probable effect of the STN7 kinase inhibition on long-term acclimation pathways in higher plants.
PubMed: 37974979
DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01116-y -
The Plant Cell Jun 2023Cryptophyte plastids originated from a red algal ancestor through secondary endosymbiosis. Cryptophyte photosystem I (PSI) associates with transmembrane...
Cryptophyte plastids originated from a red algal ancestor through secondary endosymbiosis. Cryptophyte photosystem I (PSI) associates with transmembrane alloxanthin-chlorophyll a/c proteins (ACPIs) as light-harvesting complexes (LHCs). Here, we report the structure of the photosynthetic PSI-ACPI supercomplex from the cryptophyte Chroomonas placoidea at 2.7-Å resolution obtained by crygenic electron microscopy. Cryptophyte PSI-ACPI represents a unique PSI-LHCI intermediate in the evolution from red algal to diatom PSI-LHCI. The PSI-ACPI supercomplex is composed of a monomeric PSI core containing 14 subunits, 12 of which originated in red algae, 1 diatom PsaR homolog, and an additional peptide. The PSI core is surrounded by 14 ACPI subunits that form 2 antenna layers: an inner layer with 11 ACPIs surrounding the PSI core and an outer layer containing 3 ACPIs. A pigment-binding subunit that is not present in any other previously characterized PSI-LHCI complexes, ACPI-S, mediates the association and energy transfer between the outer and inner ACPIs. The extensive pigment network of PSI-ACPI ensures efficient light harvesting, energy transfer, and dissipation. Overall, the PSI-LHCI structure identified in this study provides a framework for delineating the mechanisms of energy transfer in cryptophyte PSI-LHCI and for understanding the evolution of photosynthesis in the red lineage, which occurred via secondary endosymbiosis.
Topics: Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; Chlorophyll A; Photosystem I Protein Complex; Photosynthesis; Energy Transfer; Diatoms
PubMed: 36943796
DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad087 -
Nature Communications Apr 2024Dinoflagellates are ecologically important and essential to corals and other cnidarians as phytosymbionts, but their photosystems had been underexplored. Recently,...
Dinoflagellates are ecologically important and essential to corals and other cnidarians as phytosymbionts, but their photosystems had been underexplored. Recently, photosystem I (PSI) of dinoflagellate sp. was structurally characterized using cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM). These analyses revealed a distinct organization of the PSI supercomplex, including two previously unidentified subunits, PsaT and PsaU, and shed light on interactions between light harvesting antenna proteins and the PSI core. These results have implications with respect to the evolution of dinoflagellates and their association with cnidarians.
Topics: Photosystem I Protein Complex; Photosynthesis; Chlorophyll; Dinoflagellida; Photosystem II Protein Complex; Light; Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
PubMed: 38637576
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47797-1 -
Plant Communications Nov 2023The sessile lifestyle of plants requires an immediate response to environmental stressors that affect photosynthesis, growth, and crop yield. Here, we showed that three...
The sessile lifestyle of plants requires an immediate response to environmental stressors that affect photosynthesis, growth, and crop yield. Here, we showed that three abiotic perturbations-heat, cold, and high light-triggered considerable changes in the expression signatures of 42 epitranscriptomic factors (writers, erasers, and readers) with putative chloroplast-associated functions that formed clusters of commonly expressed genes in Arabidopsis. The expression changes under all conditions were reversible upon deacclimation, identifying epitranscriptomic players as modulators in acclimation processes. Chloroplast dysfunctions, particularly those induced by the oxidative stress-inducing norflurazon in a largely GENOME UNCOUPLED-independent manner, triggered retrograde signals to remodel chloroplast-associated epitranscriptomic expression patterns. N-methyladenosine (mA) is known as the most prevalent RNA modification and impacts numerous developmental and physiological functions in living organisms. During cold treatment, expression of components of the primary nuclear mA methyltransferase complex was upregulated, accompanied by a significant increase in cellular mA mRNA marks. In the cold, the presence of FIP37, a core component of the writer complex, played an important role in positive regulation of thylakoid structure, photosynthetic functions, and accumulation of photosystem I, the Cytbf complex, cyclic electron transport proteins, and Curvature Thylakoid1 but not that of photosystem II components and the chloroplast ATP synthase. Downregulation of FIP37 affected abundance, polysomal loading, and translation of cytosolic transcripts related to photosynthesis in the cold, suggesting mA-dependent translational regulation of chloroplast functions. In summary, we identified multifaceted roles of the cellular mA RNA methylome in coping with cold; these were predominantly associated with chloroplasts and served to stabilize photosynthesis.
Topics: RNA; Epigenome; Light; Photosynthesis; Chloroplasts; Arabidopsis
PubMed: 37287225
DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100634