Review
Chemistry, Physical
Anjali Pandit
Summary: This review demonstrates the application of magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in characterizing the structural dynamics of photosynthetic complexes. The study shows that dynamics-based spectral editing NMR can differentiate rigid and mobile components and assess dynamics on different timescales. The research also highlights the use of this technique in studying live photosynthetic cells.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Akihiro Saito, Kimika Hoshi, Yuna Wakabayashi, Takumi Togashi, Tomoki Shigematsu, Maya Katori, Takuji Ohyama, Kyoko Higuchi
Summary: The barley cultivar Sarab 1 can continue photosynthesis under low iron conditions through a reduction in P700 over-reduction and an increase in non-appressed thylakoid membranes. In contrast, another cultivar, Ehimehadaka-1, preferentially supplies iron to photosystem I to maintain photosynthetic activity. These findings highlight the multiple strategies that barley species have for acclimating photosynthesis to iron deficiency.
Article
Plant Sciences
Guangxi Wu, Lin Ma, Cai Yuan, Jiahao Dai, Lai Luo, Roshan Sharma Poudyal, Richard T. Sayre, Choon-Hwan Lee
Summary: In this study, it was found that in dark-adapted rice leaves, the light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) becomes phosphorylated and forms supercomplexes under low light conditions, which transition to aggregates under high light conditions. Knockout mutants of protein phosphatase 1 (PPH1) failed to form these LHCII aggregates, indicating their role in dissipating excess light energy. The aggregation of dephosphorylated LHCII in LHCII-PSI-LHCI supercomplexes was proposed as a newly observed photoprotective process in early HL acclimation in rice plants.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
V Rondelli, A. Koutsioubas, J. Prsic, E. Deboever, J. M. Crowet, L. Lins, M. Deleu
Summary: The properties of biomembranes are determined by the presence, local structure, and relative distribution of thousands of components. Different molecules, such as sitosterol and glycosphingolipids, play distinct roles in plant cell membranes, with their interactions affecting the membrane's properties and distribution. Understanding the driving forces behind specific molecules, like glucosylceramide and sitosterol, clustering and segregation in subdomains can impact the mechanical properties of biomembranes and the activities of other membrane molecules.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michal Stroch, Vaclav Karlicky, Petr Ilik, Iva Ilikova, Monika Opatikova, Lukas Nosek, Pavel Pospisil, Marika Svrckova, Marek Rac, Pavel Roudnicky, Zbynek Zdrahal, Vladimir Spunda, Roman Kouril
Summary: The adaptation of higher plants to different light intensities involves reorganization of the photosynthetic apparatus. Spruce has a distinct strategy compared to Arabidopsis in response to light acclimation, where it does not modify its PSII/PSI ratio and PSII antenna size but relies on a stable Chl a/b ratio. The crucial photoprotective mechanism in spruce involves a large PSII antenna with weakly bound LHCIIs and sensitive control of PSI level.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
L. Bar, F. Perissinotto, L. Redondo-Morata, M. Giannotti, J. Goole, P. Losada-Perez
Summary: This study investigates the effect of topographical homogeneity of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) on the adsorption of hydrophilic Quantum dots (QDs). It reveals significant differences in the interactions of QDs onto homogeneous and inhomogeneous SLBs, with QDs preferentially targeting membrane defects in inhomogeneous layers. The adsorption of QDs onto homogeneous SLBs is mainly driven by electrostatic interactions, while in inhomogeneous SLBs it is influenced by a subtle interplay of electrostatic and entropic effects.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinhwan Lee, Hyosul Shin, Chan Kang, Sunghyun Kim
Summary: This study introduces a novel approach using TM-composite material to achieve high photocurrent conversion efficiency, with a thin film formed on a graphite surface. Each component plays a different role, with an optimized ratio of 1:0.5:30. Experimental results confirm that TMs are the origin of photocurrent, with blocking experiments suggesting some of the photocurrent is transferred to the electrode via Os-RP and ITOnp.
Article
Cell Biology
Ondrej Dlouhy, Vaclav Karlicky, Uros Javornik, Irena Kurasova, Otto Zsiros, Primoz Sket, Sai Divya Kanna, Kinga Bode, Kristyna Vecerova, Otmar Urban, Edward S. Gasanoff, Janez Plavec, Vladimir Spunda, Bettina Ughy, Gyozo Garab
Summary: Plant thylakoid membranes (TMs) contain two isotropic lipid phases and an inverted hexagonal phase. The non-bilayer lipid phases are found in subdomains separated from but interconnected with the bilayer accommodating the main components of the photosynthetic machinery, potentially involved in membrane fusion.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cintia A. Menendez, Alejandro R. Verde, Laureano M. Alarcon, Gustavo A. Appignanesi
Summary: Yerba mate tea, rich in phenolic antioxidants, particularly caffeoyl derivatives, interacts with lipid bilayers and exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Aisha Almakas, Guoxiang Chen, Fahad Masoud Wattoo, Rashid Mehmood Rana, Muhammad Asif Saleem, Zhiping Gao, Muhammad Waqas Amjid, Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani, Abeer Hashem, Elsayed Fathi Abd Allah
Summary: The study showed that exposure to high light during the yellowing stage led to photooxidation in mutant 812HS leaves, while using a dark cover during the recovery stage restored green color. Additionally, mutant 812HS had decreased net photosynthetic rate and pigment content during the yellowing stage.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wei Fan, Shaoxiong Zhu, Jingjing Nie, Binyang Du
Summary: Thermo-sensitive microgels called PMO-MGs were synthesized and used to prepare composited ultrafiltration membranes with improved surface hydrophilicity and antifouling performance. The PMO-MGs were spherical in shape and had an average diameter of 323±12 nm. The addition of PMO-MGs also imparted thermo-sensitive characteristics to the membranes, with an increase in pure water flux from 369.7 to 618.7 L·m(-2)·h(-1) as the temperature increased from 20 to 45°C.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Varnavas D. Mouchlis, Daiki Hayashi, Alexis M. Vasquez, Jian Cao, J. Andrew McCammon, Edward A. Dennis
Summary: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) associates with lipoproteins in human plasma and hydrolyzes oxidized phospholipids. The mechanism of enzyme-membrane association and substrate specificity were studied using lipidomics and mass spectrometry techniques.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yiyuan Kang, Jia Liu, Yanping Jiang, Suhan Yin, Zhendong Huang, Yanli Zhang, Junrong Wu, Lili Chen, Longquan Shao
Summary: The interactions between inorganic-based nanomaterials (NMs) and biological membranes are crucial for developing NM-based therapeutics and addressing nanotoxicology issues. Biological membranes act as platforms mediating NM-immune system contacts, and the challenges and potential applications in these areas are discussed in the overview. Understanding these concepts will enhance the design of therapeutic NM for drug delivery systems by leveraging NMs-membrane interactions and functions.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kentaro Miyata, Kiyoshi Kato, Satoshi Wada, Valentin Petrov
Summary: The temperature tuning of CdSe optical parametric oscillators (OPO's) is investigated by pumping with the signal and idler outputs of a CsTiOAsO4 (CTA) OPO. New Sellmeier and thermo-optic dispersion formulas for CdSe are constructed using the measured temperature-dependent phase-matching conditions, and these formulas are verified through temperature-tuned sum-frequency generation (SFG) experiments.
OPTICAL MATERIALS EXPRESS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jinmei Li, Dong Wang, Jiaojiao Zhang, Na Zhang, Yue Chen, Zhining Wang
Summary: A thermo-responsive composite membrane consisting of a temperature-sensitive skin layer and a superhydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fabric substrate was successfully fabricated. The membrane exhibited a high average permeate flux of 35.78 L/(m(2).h) (LMH), which is 1.6-fold higher than that of commercial PTFE membrane, while maintaining a salt rejection of 99.99%. The membrane also demonstrated excellent durability for long-term operation and fouling resistance, with the ability to recover permeate flux up to 100% with thermal actuation cleaning.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hoang Long Nguyen, Thanh Nhut Do, Parveen Akhtar, Thomas L. C. Jansen, Jasper Knoester, Wenda Wang, Jian-Ren Shen, Petar H. Lambrev, Howe-Siang Tan
Summary: The marine green macroalga Bryopsis corticulans has unique light-harvesting complexes compared to those in plants, as revealed by fitting analysis of its LHCII. The fitting method's robustness in matching experimental data demonstrates its effectiveness in systems lacking precise pigment assignment and spatial information.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marijonas Tutkus, Jevgenij Chmeliov, Gediminas Trinkunas, Parveen Akhtar, Petar H. Lambrev, Leonas Valkunas
Summary: This study investigated the fluorescence properties of liposome-reconstituted major light-harvesting complexes of plants (LHCII) using fluorescent dye labelling and single-molecule microscopy techniques. Results showed that the fluorescence lifetimes in bulk and single liposome measurements were correlated, with shorter lifetimes observed in liposome-free LHCII compared to reconstituted LHCII. The dependence of fluorescence lifetime on protein density in liposome-reconstituted LHCII resembled concentration quenching, while the impact of liposome size on fluorescence lifetime was not significant. It was demonstrated that fluorescence quenching in reconstituted membranes could be induced by LHCII-LHCII interactions, similar to photoprotective non-photochemical quenching in vivo.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
C. H. Lucas Patty, Jonas G. Kuehn, Petar H. Lambrev, Stefano Spadaccia, H. Jens Hoeijmakers, Christoph Keller, Willeke Mulder, Vidhya Pallichadath, Olivier Poch, Frans Snik, Daphne M. Stam, Antoine Pommerol, Brice-Olivier Demory
Summary: This study demonstrates that sensitive circular spectropolarimetric measurements taken from a fast-moving helicopter can quickly differentiate between various landscape elements, including grass fields, forests, and urban areas. Circular polarization can serve as a powerful biosignature and a valuable tool in remote sensing for monitoring vegetation physiology and terrain features.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Parveen Akhtar, Gabor Sipka, Wenhui Han, Xingyue Li, Guangye Han, Jian-Ren Shen, Gyozo Garab, Howe-Siang Tan, Petar H. Lambrev
Summary: This study investigates the excitation dynamics of Photosystem II (PSII) under neutral and oxidized reaction center (RC) conditions using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The core antenna equilibration process has a lifetime of about 300 fs, regardless of the RC redox state. Additionally, slower energy equilibration is observed on timescales of 3-5 ps. PSII with neutral RC follows previously proposed models, while PSII with oxidized RC exhibits extremely fast excitation quenching.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Thanh Nhut Do, Hoang Long Nguyen, Parveen Akhtar, Kai Zhong, Thomas L. C. Jansen, Jasper Knoester, Stefano Caffarri, Petar H. Lambrev, Howe-Siang Tan
Summary: The study investigates the ultrafast excitation energy transfer processes in the LHCII(M)-CP29-CP24 complex of photosystem II, showing faster energy equilibrations and shorter bottleneck state lifetimes compared to LHCII. Structural changes in LHCII(M) in the bigger assembly are attributed to the accelerated dynamics observed.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
M. Magyar, P. Akhtar, G. Sipka, W. Han, X. LI, G. Han, J. -R. Shen, P. H. Lambrev, G. Garab
Summary: The process of dark-to-light transition in PSII depends significantly on the lipid matrix of the reaction center. Non-native lipids have no noticeable effects, while thylakoid membrane lipids can considerably shorten the response time of the reaction center.
Article
Plant Sciences
Parveen Akhtar, Avratanu Biswas, Fanny Balog-Vig, Ildiko Domonkos, Laszlo Kovacs, Petar H. Lambrev
Summary: Cyanobacterial mutants with monomeric PSI show changes in the composition and abundance of phycobilisomes and in the excitation energy transfer to PSII and PSI. The oligomeric state of PSI impacts the excitation energy flow in Synechocystis.
Article
Cell Biology
Haoyu Wang, Hao Qin, Gyozo Garab, Edward S. Gasanoff
Summary: Short-chain alcohols interact with membrane-active peptides to modulate the lipid polymorphism of membranes, thereby affecting cellular metabolism.
Article
Cell Biology
Ondrej Dlouhy, Vaclav Karlicky, Uros Javornik, Irena Kurasova, Otto Zsiros, Primoz Sket, Sai Divya Kanna, Kinga Bode, Kristyna Vecerova, Otmar Urban, Edward S. Gasanoff, Janez Plavec, Vladimir Spunda, Bettina Ughy, Gyozo Garab
Summary: Plant thylakoid membranes (TMs) contain two isotropic lipid phases and an inverted hexagonal phase. The non-bilayer lipid phases are found in subdomains separated from but interconnected with the bilayer accommodating the main components of the photosynthetic machinery, potentially involved in membrane fusion.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melinda Magyar, Gabor Sipka, Wenhui Han, Xingyue Li, Guangye Han, Jian-Ren Shen, Petar H. H. Lambrev, Gyozo Garab
Summary: By measuring the chlorophyll-a fluorescence transients produced by single-turnover saturating flashes, researchers identified the rate-limiting steps in the transition from dark to light of Photosystem II. They found that in samples treated with diuron, the first flash fully reduced the Q(A) quinone acceptor molecule but only generated an F-1 fluorescence transient.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
G. Sipka, L. Nagy, M. Magyar, P. Akhtar, J. -r. Shen, A. R. Holzwarth, P. H. Lambrev, G. Garab
Summary: This review outlines the nature, mechanism, and physiological significance of light-induced reversible reorganizations in closed Type II reaction center complexes. Closed reaction center complexes display changes in their photophysical and photochemical parameters upon continued excitation, leading to the optimization of photosynthetic machinery during the dark-to-light transition.
Review
Plant Sciences
Gyozo Garab, Melinda Magyar, Gabor Sipka, Petar H. Lambrev
Summary: Photosystem II (PSII) utilizes solar energy to oxidize water and fix CO2. While the atomic structure and basic functions of PSII are well-known, there are still important questions to be answered. The activity of PSII is monitored by recording the induction kinetics of chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF). However, the existing model is controversial.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabor Sipka, Melinda Magyar, Alberto Mezzetti, Parveen Akhtar, Qingjun Zhu, Yanan Xiao, Guangye Han, Stefano Santabarbara, Jian-Ren Shen, Petar H. Lambrev, Gyozo Garab
Summary: The study reveals that the light-adapted charge-separated state in PSII undergoes a transition from the closed state, contributing to variable chlorophyll-a fluorescence and involving complex photochemical and photophysical reactions. The highest fluorescence level is associated with the light-adapted state rather than the closed state, challenging the traditional understanding of fluorescence parameters in PSII quantum efficiency assessment.
