The roles of specific xanthophylls in photoprotection

Xanthophyll pigments have critical structural and functional roles in the photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes of algae and vascular plants. Genetic dissection of xanthophyll metabolism in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii revealed functions for specific xanthophylls in the nonradiative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1997-12, Vol.94 (25), p.14162-14167
Main Authors: Niyogi, K.K, Bjorkman, O, Grossman, A.R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
ALPHA-CAROTENE
BETA-CAROTENE
Biological Sciences
Biology
Botany
CAROTENOIDE
CAROTENOIDES
CAROTENOIDS
CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII
CHLOROPHYLLE
CHLOROPHYLLS
CLOROFILAS
FLUORESCENCE
FLUORESCENCIA
FOTOSINTESIS
LIGHT
LIGHT INTENSITY
LUMIERE
LUZ
Molecules
MUTANT
MUTANTES
MUTANTS
Mutation
OXIDACION
OXIDATION
OXYDATION
Photons
PHOTOSYNTHESE
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Pigments
Plant cells
Plants
Thylakoids
VIOLAXANTHIN
XANTHOPHYLLE
XANTHOPHYLLS
XANTOFILAS
ZEAXANTHIN
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Summary:Xanthophyll pigments have critical structural and functional roles in the photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes of algae and vascular plants. Genetic dissection of xanthophyll metabolism in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii revealed functions for specific xanthophylls in the nonradiative dissipation of excess absorbed light energy, measured as nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Mutants with a defect in either the alpha- or beta-branch of carotenoid biosynthesis exhibited less nonphotochemical quenching but were still able to tolerate high light. In contrast, a double mutant that was defective in the synthesis of lutein, loroxanthin (alpha-carotene branch), zeaxanthin, and antheraxanthin (beta-carotene branch) had almost no nonphotochemical quenching and was extremely sensitive to high light. These results strongly suggest that in addition to the xanthophyll cycle pigments (zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin), a-carotene-derived xanthophylls such as lutein, which are structural components of the subunits of the light-harvesting complexes, contribute to the dissipation of excess absorbed light energy and the protection of plants from photo-oxidative damage
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.94.25.14162