About
Fotosyntetyczne kompleksy antenowe: regulacja funkcji antenowej poprzez kontrolowaną samoorganizację
Research project objectives/Hypothesis
The project is based on research aimed to elucidate molecular mechanisms responsible for regulation of the light-harvesting (antenna) function in the photosynthetic apparatus of plants. Within the project, experiments will be carried out, designed to verify the hypothesis according to which “the plant photosynthetic antenna complex LHCII forms supramolecular structures in which xanthophylls present directly in the lipid phase of the thylakoid membrane play a role of linkers of the trimeric complexes and, at the same time, “spacers” protecting the protein molecules against aggregation, leading to undesirable excitation energy dissipation.
Research methodology
The research planned will be based on molecular spectroscopy and microscopy techniques: steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), resonance Raman spectroscopy and resonance Raman imaging microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Research project impact
We expect that the research planned within this project, will: (i) elucidate precise molecular mechanisms responsible for formation and stabilization of supramolecular structures formed by LHCII and violaxanthin, (ii) reveal excitation energy transfer pathways and efficiency in the supramolecular complexes of LHCII and violaxanthin and (iii) give insight into possible, light-controlled molecular mechanisms, which can be potentially involved in destabilization of the supramolecular LHCII-violaxanthin structures.
Gained knowledge can contribute positively to the activity aimed at cultivating stress-resistant crops, by providing basic information regarding mechanisms of regulation of the photosynthethic anenna function at the molecular level.
