evolution of Photosystem II: insights into the past and future

This article attempts to address the molecular origin of Photosystem II (PSII), the central component in oxygenic photosynthesis. It discusses the possible evolution of the relevant cofactors needed for splitting water into molecular O₂ with respect to the following functional domains in PSII: the r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Photosynthesis research 2011, Vol.107 (1), p.71-86
Main Authors: Williamson, Adele, Conlan, Brendon, Hillier, Warwick, Wydrzynski, Tom
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biochemistry
Bioengineering
Biological Evolution
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Coenzymes
Electrons
Evolution
Evolutionary biology
Life Sciences
Manganese - metabolism
Manganese compounds
Manganese stabilizing protein
Oxidation-Reduction
Oxygen - chemistry
Oxygen - metabolism
O₂ production
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis - genetics
photosystem II
Photosystem II Protein Complex - chemistry
Photosystem II Protein Complex - genetics
Photosystem II Protein Complex - metabolism
Phytochemistry
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Proteins
Reaction center
Review
Solar Energy
Water - chemistry
Water splitting
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Summary:This article attempts to address the molecular origin of Photosystem II (PSII), the central component in oxygenic photosynthesis. It discusses the possible evolution of the relevant cofactors needed for splitting water into molecular O₂ with respect to the following functional domains in PSII: the reaction center (RC), the oxygen evolving complex (OEC), and the manganese stabilizing protein (MSP). Possible ancestral sources of the relevant cofactors are considered, as are scenarios of how these components may have been brought together to produce the intermediate steps in the evolution of PSII. Most importantly, the driving forces that maintained these intermediates for continued adaptation are considered. We then apply our understanding of the evolution of PSII to the bioengineering of a water oxidizing catalyst for utilization of solar energy.
ISSN:0166-8595
1573-5079
DOI:10.1007/s11120-010-9559-3