Norio Murata – författare

Sixteen topics from the results of the research project "Molecular Mechanisms for Responses of the Photosynthetic Apparatus to the Environment," are documented in this excellent and timely work.Photosynthesis research has a long history in Japan, and many Japanese laboratories working in this field have been very active and productive. Based on the foundation established by these laboratories, the research reflected in this book focuses on elucidating the interactions between photosynthesis and the environment, with special emphasis on the molecular aspects of these interactions. The major purpose of the research was to identify specific genes required for (a) repair of the organisms from stress-induced damage to the photosynthetic machinery and (b) acclimation of photosynthetic processes to specific changes in environmental conditions. Once specific genes were identified, the effects of expression (and overexpression) of these genes in transgenic plants on acclimation processes were analyzed.Through the analysis of transgenic plants and cyanobacteria, the volume clarifies a number of molecular mechanisms by which plants acclimate to environmental variations, and the factors that govern recovery from stress-induced damage, especially with respect to the photosynthetic apparatus.A treatize on stress physiology and photosynthesis, the book also indicates the agricultural usefulness of transgenic plants and microalgae which are produced to study the molecular mechanisms of the tolerance of plants to changes in their environment.

Lipids in Photosynthesis provides readers with a comprehensive view of the structure, function and genetics of lipids in plants, algae and bacteria, with special emphasis on the photosynthetic apparatus in thylakoid membranes. This volume includes the historical background of the field, as well as a full review of our current understanding of the structure and molecular organization of lipids and their role in the functions of photosynthetic membranes. The physical properties of membrane lipids in thylakoid membranes and their relationship to photosynthesis are also discussed. Other topics include the biosynthesis of glycerolipids and triglycerides; reconstitution of photosynthetic structures and activities with lipids; lipid-protein interactions in the import of proteins into chloroplasts; the development of thylakoid membranes as it relates to lipids; genetic engineering of the unsaturation of membrane glycerolipids, with a focus on the ability of the photosynthetic machinery to tolerate temperature stress; and the involvement of chloroplast lipids in the reactions of plants upon exposure to stress. This book is intended for a wide audience and should be of interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students and to researchers active in the field, as well as to those scientists whose fields of specialization include the biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology, biophysics and biotechnology of membranes.

The Oxygen Evolving System of Photosynthesis documents the proceedings of an international symposium entitled ""Photosynthetic Water Oxidation and Photosystem II Photochemistry,"" held at The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Wako, Saitama, Japan, 15-17 March 1983. Several other papers from authorities in this field are also included. This book provides in a systematic fashion the most current thoughts and insights into the field of photosynthetic oxygen evolution. The volume contains 46 chapters organized into five parts. Part I deals with the subunit structure of photosystem II reaction center pigment proteins and the charge separation (generation of positive and negative charges, P680+ and Pheo-). Part II examines the components and their function on the donor side. Part III discusses the biochemistry of the water oxidation enzyme system, polypeptide composition, and functional reconstitution. Part IV take up the functions of chloride and bicarbonate in electron transport and the mechanism of photoactivation in latent or Tris-inactivated chloroplasts. Part V discusses the fate of reducing equivalents going through the two-electron gate mechanism, together with the biochemistry of the quinone components on the acceptor side.

Lipids in Photosynthesis: Essential and Regulatory Functions, provides an essential summary of an exciting decade of research on relationships between lipids and photosynthesis. The book brings together extensively cross-referenced and peer-reviewed chapters by prominent researchers. The topics covered include the structure, molecular organization and biosynthesis of fatty acids, glycerolipids and nonglycerolipids in plants, algae, lichens, mosses, and cyanobacteria, as well as in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Several chapters deal with the manipulation of the extent of unsaturation of fatty acids and the effects of such manipulation on photosynthesis and responses to various forms of stress. The final chapters focus on lipid trafficking, signaling and advanced analytical techniques. Ten years ago, Siegenthaler and Murata edited "Lipids in Photosynthesis: Structure, Function and Genetics," which became a classic in the field. "Lipids in Photosynthesis: Essential and Regulatory Functions," belongs, with its predecessor, in every plant and microbiological researcher's bookcase.