Molecular Mechanisms of Photosynthesis

Professor Blankenship has been Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Photosynthesis Research for 11 years and was President of the International Society of Photosynthesis Research for three years. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Introduction to the second edition xi Acknowledgements xiii About the companion website xv Chapter 1 The basic principles of photosynthetic energy storage 1 1.1 What is photosynthesis? 1 1.2 Photosynthesis is a solar energy storage process 2 1.3 Where photosynthesis takes place 4 1.4 The four phases of energy storage in photosynthesis 5 References 9 Chapter 2 Photosynthetic organisms and organelles 11 2.1 Introduction 11 2.2 Classification of life 12 2.3 Prokaryotes and eukaryotes 14 2.4 Metabolic patterns among living things 15 2.5 Phototrophic prokaryotes 15 2.6 Photosynthetic eukaryotes 21 References 24 Chapter 3 History and early development of photosynthesis 27 3.1 Van Helmont and the willow tree 27 3.2 Carl Scheele, Joseph Priestley, and the discovery of oxygen 27 3.3 Ingenhousz and the role of light in photosynthesis 28 3.4 Senebier and the role of carbon dioxide 29 3.5 De Saussure and the participation of water 29 3.6 The equation of photosynthesis 29 3.7 Early mechanistic ideas of photosynthesis 30 3.8 The Emerson and Arnold experiments 32 3.9 The controversy over the quantum requirement of photosynthesis 34 3.10 The red drop and the Emerson enhancement effect 35 3.11 Antagonistic effects 36 3.12 Early formulations of the Z scheme for photosynthesis 37 3.13 ATP formation 38 3.14 Carbon fixation 38 References 38 Chapter 4 Photosynthetic pigments: structure and spectroscopy 41 4.1 Chemical structures and distribution of chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls 41 4.2 Pheophytins and bacteriopheophytins 47 4.3 Chlorophyll biosynthesis 47 4.4 Spectroscopic properties of chlorophylls 50 4.5 Carotenoids 54 4.6 Bilins 57 References 58 Chapter 5 Antenna complexes and energy transfer processes 59 5.1 General concepts of antennas and a bit of history 59 5.2 Why antennas? 60 5.3 Classes of antennas 62 5.4 Physical principles of antenna function 63 5.5 Structure and function of selected antenna complexes 71 5.6 Regulation of antennas 82 References 84 Chapter 6 Reaction centers and electron transport pathways in anoxygenic phototrophs 89 6.1 Basic principles of reaction center structure and function 90 6.2 Development of the reaction center concept 90 6.3 Purple bacterial reaction centers 91 6.4 Theoretical analysis of biological electron transfer reactions 96 6.5 Quinone reductions, role of the Fe and pathways of proton uptake 98 6.6 Organization of electron transfer pathways 101 6.7 Completing the cycle the cytochrome bc1 complex 103 6.8 Membrane organization in purple bacteria 107 6.9 Electron transport in other anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria 108 References 109 Chapter 7 Reaction centers and electron transfer pathways in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms 111 7.1 Spatial distribution of electron transport components in thylakoids of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms 111 7.2 Noncyclic electron flow in oxygenic organisms 113 7.3 Photosystem II structure and electron transfer pathway 113 7.4 Photosystem II forms a dimeric supercomplex in the thylakoid membrane 114 7.5 The oxygen-evolving complex and the mechanism of water oxidation by Photosystem II 116 7.6 The structure and function of the cytochrome b6f complex 120 7.7 Plastocyanin donates electrons to Photosystem I 122 7.8 Photosystem I structure and electron transfer pathway 123 7.9 Ferredoxin and ferredoxin-NADP reductase complete the noncyclic electron transport chain 126 References 129 Chapter 8 Chemiosmotic coupling and ATP synthesis 133 8.1 Chemical aspects of ATP and the phosphoanhydride bonds 133 8.2 Historical perspective on ATP synthesis 135 8.3 Quantitative formulation of proton motive force 137 8.4 Nomenclature and cellular location of ATP synthase 138 8.5 Structure