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Self-assembly of photosynthetic membranes.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial photosynthetic membranes, also known as chromatophores, are tightly packed with integral membrane proteins that work together to carry out photosynthesis. Chromatophores display a wide range of cellular morphologies; spherical, tubular, and lamellar chromatophores have all been observed in different bacterial species, or with different protein constituents. Through recent computational modeling and simulation, it has been demonstrated that the light-harvesting complexes abundant in chromatophores induce local membrane curvature via multiple mechanisms. These protein complexes assemble to generate a global curvature and sculpt the chromatophores into various cellular-scale architectures.

SUBMITTER: Hsin J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3086839 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Self-assembly of photosynthetic membranes.

Hsin Jen J Chandler Danielle E DE Gumbart James J Harrison Christopher B CB Sener Melih M Strumpfer Johan J Schulten Klaus K

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry 20100401 6

Bacterial photosynthetic membranes, also known as chromatophores, are tightly packed with integral membrane proteins that work together to carry out photosynthesis. Chromatophores display a wide range of cellular morphologies; spherical, tubular, and lamellar chromatophores have all been observed in different bacterial species, or with different protein constituents. Through recent computational modeling and simulation, it has been demonstrated that the light-harvesting complexes abundant in chr ...[more]

PMID: 20183845

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