Title: Chapter 12 Molecular organization of thylakoid membranes
Abstract: This chapter discusses molecular organization of thylakoid membranes. The secrets of the molecular logic of light-harvesting, electron flow and proton translocation lie in the specific and critical arrangement of most thylakoid proteins in multisubunit, membrane-spanning intrinsic protein complexes embedded within the fluid bilayer of the thylakoid membrane. This dynamic, asymmetric organization allows for rapid changes in both the conformation of complexes and the lateral distribution of complexes along the membrane, features which may be essential for function. Thylakoid membranes have a unique set of acyl lipids that form about 25–30% of the total thylakoid mass. The neutral galactolipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) comprise about 75% of the total acyl lipids (MGDG, 50%; DGDG, 25%), together with roughly equal amounts of the negatively charged lipids phosphatidyldiacylglycerol (PG) (10%) and sulphoquinovosylglycerol (SG) (10%) and other phospholipids (5%). The transverse distribution of acyl lipids across the thylakoid membrane is more difficult to determine than that of the transverse protein distribution. Because of the relatively small size of the acyl lipid molecules, antibody labelling, lipolytic digestion and chemical modification may considerably modify the lipids themselves, thereby leading to lipid interchange across the membrane, and even membrane disruption.
Publication Year: 1987
Publication Date: 1987-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 4
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