Membrane in chloroplasts. A topological approach to grana and frets

The membrane system of chloroplasts, where photosynthesis takes place, presents a remarkable organization of flat thykaloïds in grana and frets which contributes to the efficiency of the photochemical and biochemical steps of the process. A topological analysis of this organization is proposed, whic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical chemistry 1994, Vol.49 (1), p.23-26
Main Author: Charvolin, Jean
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chloroplasts
Lamellar liquid crystals
Membranes
Screw dislocations
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The membrane system of chloroplasts, where photosynthesis takes place, presents a remarkable organization of flat thykaloïds in grana and frets which contributes to the efficiency of the photochemical and biochemical steps of the process. A topological analysis of this organization is proposed, which develops a relationship with screw dislocation walls in lamellar liquid crystals. This analysis makes possible a rather simple geometrical description of the organization depending upon two parameters only: the stacking distances of thykaloïds in grana and frets. This suggests that the formation of grana and frets, and their overall structure, might be viewed as a separation between two lamellar stockings of thykaloïds whose different spacings are associated with a distribution along the membrane of the molecules intervening in the photochemical process.
ISSN:0301-4622
1873-4200
DOI:10.1016/0301-4622(93)E0078-J