In photosynthetic light harvesting, absorbed energy migrates through a protein network to reach a dedicated location for conversion to chemical energy. In higher plants, this energy flow is efficient, directional, and regulated. The regulatory response involves complex and complicated multi-timescale processes that safely dissipate excess energy, thus protecting the system against deleterious photoproducts. We explore the mechanisms behind this photoprotective process in the major light-harvesting protein from green plants (LHCII). By characterizing the conformational states and dynamics of individual proteins, we identify the extent of energy dissipation in single LHCII proteins and how the extent of dissipation changes in response to pH and carotenoid composition, two components known to play a role in photoprotection. From this information, we explore how individual complexes contribute to the balance between efficiency and adaptability in photosynthetic light harvesting.

Elucidation of the molecular machinery in photosynthetic light harvesting

251st National Meeting (2016)

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