Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration – serie

This text summarizes more than a decade of progress in analyzing the taxonomy, biochemistry, physiology, cellular differentiation and developmental biology of cyanobacteria by modern molecular methods, especially molecular genetics. During this period cyanobacterial molecular biologists have been "studying those things that cyanobacteria do well", and they have made cyanobacteria the organisms of choice for detailed molecular analyses of oxygenic photosynthesis. Part 1 contains chapters describing the molecular evolution and taxonomy of the cyanobacteria, as well as chapters describing cyanelles and the origins of algal and higher plant chloroplasts. Also included are chapters describing the picoplanktonic, oceanic cyanobacteria and prochlorophytes, "the other cyanobacteria". Part 2 is devoted to a detailed description of structural and functional aspects of the cyanobacterial photosynthetic apparatus. Structure, as it relates to biological function, is heavily emphasized in this portion of the book.Part 3 describes other important biochemical processes, including respiration, carbon metabolism, inorganic carbon uptake and concentration, nitrogen metabolism, tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, and carotenoid biosynthesis. Part 4 describes the cyanobacterial genetic systems and gene regulatory phenomena in these organisms. Emphasis is placed on responses to environmental stimuli, such as light intensity, light wavelength, temperature, and nutrient availability. Cellular differentiation and development phenomena, including the formation of heterocysts for nitrogen fixation and hormogonia for dispersal of organisms in the environment, are described. The book comprises 28 chapters written by leading experts from Europe, Israel, Japan, and the United States. The book is intended for graduate students and researchers in the fields of photosynthesis, microbiology, plant molecular biology, biochemistry, and biotechnology.

This work provides an overview of the various techniques that have proved to be of importance in studying the mechanism of both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. Each chapter discusses the basic concepts of a technique, practical applications and some of the scientific results. The first section concerns optical techniques, the second magnetic resonance, whereas the third is mainly devoted to various techniques that provide information on the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus, such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption and electron microscopy. The book should be useful for graduate students and researchers both in photosynthesis as well as in physics, (bio)chemistry and biology.

Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria is a comprehensive volume describing all aspects of non-oxygen-evolving photosynthetic bacteria. The 62 chapters are organized into themes of: Taxonomy, physiology and ecology; Molecular structure of pigments and cofactors; Membrane and cell wall structure: Antenna structure and function; Reaction center structure and electron/proton pathways; Cyclic electron transfer; Metabolic processes; Genetics; Regulation of gene expression, and applications. The chapters have all been written by leading experts and present in detail the current understanding of these versatile microorganisms. The book is intended for use by advanced undergraduate and graduate students and senior researchers in the areas of microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, biophysics and biotechnology.

Structure and function of the components of the photosynthetic apparatus and the molecular biology of these components have become the dominant themes in advances in our understanding of the light reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. Oxygenic Photosynthesis: The Light Reactions presents our current understanding of these reactions in thylakoid membranes. Topics covered include the photosystems, the cytochrome b6-f complex, plastocyanin, ferredoxin, FNR, light-harvesting complexes, and the coupling factor. Chapters are also devoted to the structure of thylakoid membranes, their lipid composition, and their biogenesis. Updates on the crystal structures of cytochrome f, ATP synthase and photosystem I are presented and a section on molecular biology and evolution of the photosynthetic apparatus is also included. The chapters in this book provide a comprehensive overview of photosynthetic reactions in eukaryotic thylakoids. The book is intended for a wide audience, including graduate students and researchers active in this field, as well as those individuals who have interests in plant biochemistry and molecular biology or plant physiology.

Structure and function of the components of the photosynthetic apparatus and the molecular biology of these components have become the dominant themes in advances in the understanding of the light reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. This text presents current understanding of these reactions in thylakoid membranes. Topics covered include the photosystems, the cytochrome b6-f complex, plastocyanin, ferredoxin, FNR, light-harvesting complexes, and the coupling factor. Chapters are also devoted to the structure of thylakoid membranes, their lipid composition, and their biogenesis. Updates on the crystal structures of cytochrome f, ATP synthase and photosystem I are presented and a section on molecular biology and evolution of the photosynthetic apparatus is also included. The chapters in this book provide an overview of photosynthetic reactions in eukaryotic thylakoids. The book is intended for a wide audience, including graduate students and researchers active in this field, as well as those individuals who have interests in plant biochemistry and molecular biology or plant physiology.

An examination of how photosynthesis may be influenced by environmental changes. Structural and functional aspects of the photosynthetic apparatus are examined in the context of responses to environmental stimuli; particular attention being given to the processing of light energy by thylakoids, metabolic regulation, gas exchange and source-sink relations. The roles of developmental and genetic responses in determining photosynthetic performance are also considered. The complexity of the responses to environmental change is demonstrated by detailed analyses of the effects of specific environmental variables (light, temperature, water, CO2, ozone and UV-B) on photosynthetic performance. Where appropriate attention is given to recent developments in the techniques used for studying photosynthetic activities. The book is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and a wide range of scientists with research interests in environmental effects on photosynthesis and plant productivity.

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.

The Molecular Biology ofChloroplasts and a genetic dissection ofphotosynthesis was first Mitochondria in Chlamydomonas is the seventh recognized by Paul Levine. Together with his volume to be published in the series Advances in coworkers, he initiated along-rangegenetic approach Photosynthesis of Kluwer Academic Publishers which proved to be highly successful. It provided (Series Editor: Govindjee). Volume 1 dealtwith The genetic support for the linear Z scheme of Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria; Volume 2 with photosynthesis and led to the identification ofnew Anoxygenic PhotosyntheticBacteria; Volume 3 with components ofthe photosynthetic electron transfer BiophysicalTechniques in Photosynthesis; Volume 4 chain such astheRieskeproteinofthe cytochrome with Photosynthesis and the Environment; and complex. Volume 6 with Lipids in Photosynthesis: Structure, During the past 20 years, the powerful techniques of molecular biology and genetics, and the Function and Genetics. The main goal ofthis book is to provide a development ofmethods for efficient nuclear and comprehensive overview ofcurrent research with chloroplast transformation of C. reinhardtii have the green alga Chlamydomonas on chloroplast and greatly enhanced the potential ofthis organism as an mitochondrial biogenesis and function, with special experimental system for studying chloroplast emphasis on the assembly and structure-function biogenesis.This has led to impressive advances in relationships ofthe constituents ofthe photosynthetic our understanding of the regulation of chloroplast apparatus.

Each of the 20 chapters in this text is written by leading experts in the area of carotenoid research and gives a comprehensive overview of a particular topic in the field. The book is organized into five sub-areas: (1) biosynthetic pathways and the distribution of carotenoids in photosynthetic organisms; (2) structure of carotenoid-chlorophyll protein complexes; (3) electronic structure, stereochemistry, spectrochemistry, spectroscopy, dynamics and radicals; (4) eco-physiology and the xanthophyll cycle; and (5) model systems. Correlations between the photochemical behavior of carotenoids in vitro and in vivo are discussed. The various contributions review the basic hypotheses about how carotenoids function and give details regarding testing different molecular models using state-of-the-art experimental methodologies.

The principal aim of this text is to provide final year undergraduates, graduate students and researchers with an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of photosynthetic carbon metabolism in plants, ranging from molecular to ecophysiological aspects. The book examines how CO2 is acquired by algae and by plants and is divided into three sections. The first section concentrates on the pathways (the Calvin cycle and photorespiration, with particular emphasis on Rubisco) and the regulation of CO2 fixation. The second section deals with the fate of fixed carbon, in chapters on the synthesis of products, such as sucrose, starch, fructans and sugar alcohols, and with the regulation of cellular partitioning of carbon, including topics such as respiration and feedback regulation of photosynthesis by carbohydrates. The last section concentrates on the various problems that plants face in taking up CO2 from their environment, and how CO2 concentrating mechanisms operate in the algae and in plants with C4 photosynthesis and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. The ecological significance of these mechanisms is discussed.

II. Algal Symbiotic Associations 439 III. The Host-Algal Interface 439 IV. Carbon Acquisition, Fixation and Secretion 440 V. Photoacclimation and Photoadaptation 446 447 VI. Coral Bleaching and Photoinhibition References 450 Index 457 xv xvii xviii xix xx Color Plates - Color Plate I . A. Colonies ofthe green volvocalean alga Volvox. Scale bar, 30 Jlffi. B. A thallus ofthe red alga La urencia intrica ta. Scale bar, I em. C. Part of a thallus of the brown alga Sargassum, Scale bar, I cm. D. The cryptomonad Cryptomonas sp. under the light microscope. The several plastids in each cell are readily seen. The two equal Ilagella are not so easily seen under the light microscope. Scale bar, 2Jlffi. Photography by M Ricketts. See Chapter I, p. 4. Anthony W. Larkum, Susan E. Douglas and John A. Raven (eds): Photosynth esis in Algae, pp.CP1- CP.J. (c) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in The Netherlands. Color Plates Color Plate 2. Confoc al images of chlorophyll fluorescence in various ehlorophytes. A. Oedogonium (species unknown, local collection); x3,300 . B. Cladophora (specie s unknown, local collect ion); x2,800. C. Spirogyra (species unknown , local collection) x31O. C.(Inset) Spirogyra as in C. at x 3000. D. Klebsormidium fla ccidum (UTEX #LB2017) X2,300. E Nitella translucens (Wasteneys collection) X24000. All scale bars Slim except low magnification ofSpirogyra which is 100 J.1m.Micrographs kindly provided by Brian Gunnin g: for further details and descriptions, see Gunning and Schwartz, 1999. See Chapter 2, p. 17 .

"Photosynthesis: Photobiochemistry and Photobiophysics" is the first single-authored book in the "Advances in Photosynthesis Series". It provides an overview of the light reactions and electron transfers in both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. The scope of the book is characterized by the time frame in which the light reactions and the subsequent electron transfers take place, namely between ≤10-12 and >=10-3 second. The book is divided into five parts: an overview; bacterial photosynthesis; photosystem II and oxygen evolution; photosystem I; and proton transport and photophosphorylation. In discussing the structure and function of various protein complexes, we begin with an introductory chapter, followed by chapters on light-harvesting complexes, the primary electron donors and the primary electron acceptors, and finally the secondary electron donors. The discussion on electron acceptors is presented in the order of their discovery to convey a sense of history, in parallel with the advancement in instrumentation of increasing time resolution.The book includes a large number of stereo pictures showing the three-dimensional structure of various photosynthetic proteins, which can be easily viewed with unaided eyes. This book is designed to be used as a textbook in a graduate or upper-division undergraduate course in photosynthesis, photobiology, plant physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics; it is equally suitable as a resource book for students, teachers, and researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, microbiology, and plant biology.

This text is concerned with the most important process on Earth - the harvesting of light energy by photosynthetic organisms. It provides a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of photosynthetic light-harvesting antennas, from the biophysical mechanisms of light absorption and energy transfer to the structure, biosynthesis and regulation of antenna systems in whole organisms. The book sets the great variety of antenna pigment-protein complexes in their evolutionary context and at the same time brings in the latest hi-tech developments. It emphasizes the integration of molecular biological, biochemical and biophysical approaches.

This text focuses on the most up-to-date developments in our understanding of how plants use light energy and fixed carbon to assimilate nitrate and ammonium into the organic compounds required for growth. From the partitioning of organic nitrogen within the photosynthetic apparatus, through the primary processes of reduction of nitrate and nitrite and the assimilation of ammonium and its cycling in photorespiration, the complex interactions inherent in the crosstalk between carbon and nitrogen assimilation are considered and exciting new developments such as nitric oxide production evaluated. Attention is paid throughout to the close co-ordination of photosynthetic and respiratory processes in nitrogen assimilation. Emerging concepts of the interdependence of chloroplasts and mitochondria are described, and essential communication, transport and signalling processes are highlighted. This is the first comprehensive treatise on photosynthetic nitrogen assimilation.

"Photosynthesis: Photobiochemistry and Photobiophysics" is the first single-authored book in the "Advances in Photosynthesis Series". It provides an overview of the light reactions and electron transfers in both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. The scope of the book is characterized by the time frame in which the light reactions and the subsequent electron transfers take place, namely between ≤10-12 and >=10-3 second. The book is divided into five parts: an overview; bacterial photosynthesis; photosystem II and oxygen evolution; photosystem I; and proton transport and photophosphorylation. In discussing the structure and function of various protein complexes, we begin with an introductory chapter, followed by chapters on light-harvesting complexes, the primary electron donors and the primary electron acceptors, and finally the secondary electron donors. The discussion on electron acceptors is presented in the order of their discovery to convey a sense of history, in parallel with the advancement in instrumentation of increasing time resolution.The book includes a large number of stereo pictures showing the three-dimensional structure of various photosynthetic proteins, which can be easily viewed with unaided eyes. This book is designed to be used as a textbook in a graduate or upper-division undergraduate course in photosynthesis, photobiology, plant physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics; it is equally suitable as a resource book for students, teachers, and researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, microbiology, and plant biology.

This book, entitled Respiration in Archaea and Bacteria, summarizes the achievements of the past decade in the biochemistry, bioenergetics, structural and molecular biology of respiratory processes in selected groups of prokaryotes. It includes a series of Chapters providing an extensive coverage of the respiratory membrane-bound bacterial redox complexes and enzymes; it also covers evolution of respiration, cytochrome c biogenesis, bacterial haemoglobins, and oxidases as redox sensors. The book is intended for graduate students and researchers in microbiology, biochemistry, bacterial molecular biology, and biotechnology.

The book summarizes the achievements of the past decade in the biochemistry, bioenergetics, structural and molecular biology of respiratory processes in selected genera of the domain Bacteria along with an extensive coverage of the redox chains of extremophiles belonging to the Archaean domain. The volume is a unique piece of work since it contains a series of chapters dealing with metabolic features having important microbiological and ecological relevance such as the use of ammonium, iron, methane, sulfur and hydrogen as respiratory substrates or nitrous compounds in denitrification processes. Particular attention is also dedicated to peculiar groups of prokaryotes such as Gram positives, acetic acid bacteria, pathogens of the genera Helicobacter and Campylobacter, nitrogen fixing symbionts and free-living species, oxygenic phototrophs (Cyanobacteria) and anoxygenic (purple non-sulfur) phototrophs. The book is intended to be a long-term source of information for Ph.D. students, researchers and undergraduates from disciplines such as microbiology, biochemistry and ecology, studying basic and applied sciences, medicine and agriculture.

Mitochondria in plants, as in other eukaryotes, play an essential role in the cell as the major producers of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria also play crucial roles in many other aspects of plant development and performance, and possess an array of unique properties which allow them to interact with the specialized features of plant cell metabolism. The two main themes running through the book are the interconnection between gene regulation and protein function, and the integration of mitochondria with other components of plant cells. The book begins with an overview of the dynamics of mitochondrial structure, morphology and inheritance. It then discusses the biogenesis of mitochondria, the regulation of gene expression, the mitochondrial genome and its interaction with the nucleus, and the targeting of proteins to the organelle. This is followed by a discussion of the contributions that mutations, involving mitochondrial proteins, have made to our understanding of the way the organelle interacts with the rest of the plant cell, and the new field of proteomics and the discovery of new functions. Also covered are the pathways of electron transport, with special attention to the non-phosphorylating bypasses, metabolite transport, and specialized mitochondrial metabolism. In the end, the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondria and the defense mechanisms, that are employed to allow survival, are discussed. This book is for the use of advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and beginning researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, proteomics and plant and agricultural sciences.

Chlorophyll a Fluorescence: A Signature of Photosynthesis highlights chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence as a convenient, non-invasive, highly sensitive, rapid and quantitative probe of oxygenic photosynthesis. Thirty-one chapters, authored by 58 international experts, provide a solid foundation of the basic theory, as well as of the application of the rich information contained in the Chl a fluorescence signal as it relates to photosynthesis and plant productivity. Although the primary photochemical reactions of photosynthesis are highly efficient, a small fraction of absorbed photons escapes as Chl fluorescence, and this fraction varies with metabolic state, providing a basis for monitoring quantitatively various processes of photosynthesis. The book explains the mechanisms with which plants defend themselves against environmental stresses (excessive light, extreme temperatures, drought, hyper-osmolarity, heavy metals and UV). It also includes discussion on fluorescence imaging of leaves and cells and the remote sensing of Chl fluorescence from terrestrial, airborne, and satellite bases. The book is intended for use by graduate students, beginning researchers and advanced undergraduates in the areas of integrative plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, plant biology, biochemistry, biophysics, plant physiology, global ecology and agriculture.

Photoprotection, Photoinhibition, Gene Regulation, and Environment examines the processes whereby plants monitor environmental conditions and orchestrate their response to change, an ability paramount to the life of all plants. “Excess light”, absorbed by the light-harvesting systems of photosynthetic organisms, is an integrative indicator of the environment, communicating the presence of intense light and any conditions unfavorable for growth and photosynthesis. Key plant responses are photoprotection and photoinhibition. In this volume, the dual role of photoprotective responses in the preservation of leaf integrity and in redox signaling networks modulating stress acclimation, growth, and development is addressed. In addition, the still unresolved impact of photoinhibition on plant survival and productivity is discussed. Specific topics include dissipation of excess energy via thermal and other pathways, scavenging of reactive oxygen by antioxidants, proteins key to photoprotection and photoinhibition, peroxidation of lipids, as well as signaling by reactive oxygen, lipid-derived messengers, and other messengers that modulate gene expression. Approaches include biochemical, physiological, genetic, molecular, and field studies, addressing intense visible and ultraviolet light, winter conditions, nutrient deficiency, drought, and salinity.

Respiration in plants, as in all living organisms, is essential to provide metabolic energy and carbon skeletons for growth and maintenance. As such, respiration is an essential component of a plant’s carbon budget. Depending on species and environmental conditions, it consumes 25-75% of all the carbohydrates produced in photosynthesis – even more at extremely slow growth rates. Respiration in plants can also proceed in a manner that produces neither metabolic energy nor carbon skeletons, but heat. This type of respiration involves the cyanide-resistant, alternative oxidase; it is unique to plants, and resides in the mitochondria. The activity of this alternative pathway can be measured based on a difference in fractionation of oxygen isotopes between the cytochrome and the alternative oxidase. Heat production is important in some flowers to attract pollinators; however, the alternative oxidase also plays a major role in leaves and roots of most plants. A common thread throughout this volume is to link respiration, including alternative oxidase activity, to plant functioning in different environments.

"The Structure and Function of Plastids" is Volume 23 in the "Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration Series". This volume provides a comprehensive look at the biology of plastids, the multifunctional biosynthetic factories that are unique to plants and algae. Fifty-nine international experts have contributed 27 chapters that cover all aspects of this large and diverse family of plant and algal organelles.

The most mysterious part of photosynthesis yet the most important for all aerobic life on Earth (including ourselves) is how green plants, algae and cyanobacteria make atmospheric oxygen from water. This thermodynamically difficult process is only achieved in Nature by the unique pigment/protein complex known as Photosystem II, using sunlight to power the reaction. The present volume contains 34 comprehensive chapters authored by 75 scientific experts from around the world. It gives an up-to-date account on all what is currently known about the molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics and physiology of Photosystem II. The book is divided into several parts detailing the protein constituents, functional sites, tertiary structure, molecular dynamics, and mechanisms of homeostasis. The book ends with a comparison of Photosystem II with other related enzymes and bio-mimetic systems. Since the unique water-splitting chemistry catalyzed by Photosystem II leads to the production of pure oxygen gas and has the potential for making hydrogen gas, a primary goal of this book is to provide a molecular guide to future protein engineers and bio-mimetic chemists in the development of biocatalysts for the generation of clean, renewable energy from sunlight and water.

This book summarizes recent advances made in the biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular biology of the enzyme known as Photosystem I, the light-induced plastocyanin: ferredoxin oxidoreductase. The volume provides a unique compilation of chapters that includes information highlighting controversial issues to indicate the frontiers of research and places special emphasis on methodology and practice for new researchers.

Chlorophylls are the most obvious natural pigments on Earth where they can be observed even from satellites in outer space: they also sustain life on Earth through their involvement in photosynthesis. With 37 authoritative chapters, this book reviews recent progress and current status of studies on the chemistry, metabolism and spectroscopy of chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls and their protein complexes. Also discussed is progress on the applications of the chlorophylls as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy of cancerous tumours, and as molecular probes in biochemistry, medicine, plant physiology, ecology and geochemistry. This book summarizes the chemical, physical, biological and medical aspects of chlorophyll (and bacteriochlorophyll) research and development, with a focus on the tremendous progress achieved over the past 15 years. Each section has an up-to-date introductory overview which is followed by a series of concise well-focused and fully-referenced chapters written by experts in (bio)chemistry, (bio)physics, photobiology and photomedicine.

"The Structure and Function of Plastids" provides a comprehensive look at the biology of plastids, the multifunctional biosynthetic factories that are unique to plants and algae. Fifty-nine international experts have contributed 28 chapters that cover all aspects of this large and diverse family of plant and algal organelles.

Sulfur is one of the most versatile elements in life due to its reactivity in different oxidation and reduction states. In phototrophic organisms, the redox properties of sulfur in proteins, and of sulfur-containing metabolites, are particularly important in the interaction between the reductive assimilation processes of photosynthesis and reactive oxygen species that arise as by-products of electron transport chains. Thiol groups in proteins and metabolites are targets of reactive oxygen species, resulting in potential damage and at the same time giving rise to redox signal cascades that trigger repair reactions and adaptation to environmental stress. Further, reduced sulfur compounds play a prominent role as electron donors for photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation in anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria. Interest in the investigation of the multiple functions of sulfur-related processes has increased exponentially in recent years, especially in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, agrobiotechnology and ecology. This book provides, for the first time, in-depth and integrated coverage of the functions of sulfur in phototrophic organisms including bacteria, plants and algae; it bridges gaps between biochemistry and cellular biology of sulfur in these organisms, and of biology and environments dominated by them. This book is designed to be a comprehensive resource on sulfur in phototrophic organisms for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, beginning researchers and teachers in the area of photosynthesis, bacterial energy metabolism, biotechnology, plant nutrition, plant production and plant molecular physiology.

Since the first volume on Biophysical Techniques in Photosynthesis Research, published in 1996, new experimental techniques and methods have been devised at a rapid pace. The present book is a sequel which complements the first volume by providing a comprehensive overview of the most important new techniques developed over the past ten years, especially those that are relevant for research on the mechanism and fundamental aspects of photosynthesis. The contributions are written by leading scientists in their field. The book is divided into 5 sections on Imaging, Structure, Optical and laser spectroscopy, Magnetic resonance and on Theory, respectively. Each chapter describes the basic concepts of the technique, practical applications and some of the scientific results. Possibilities and limitations from a technical as well as a scientific point of view are addressed, allowing the reader not only to recognize the potential of a particular method for his/her own quest, but to assess the resources that are required for implementation.

This book follows the tradition initiated in 1963, molecule approaches. New theoretical frameworks then subsequently extended in 1978 and 1995, of have had to keep pace with such technical devel- summarizing our knowledge of the photototrophic ments. Through the use of atomic force microscopy bacteria in a single volume. The ? rst book was Bac- it has been possible to examine the organization of terial Photosynthesis (Howard Gest, Anthony San clusters of individual light-harvesting and reaction Pietro and Leo P. Vernon, eds), 1963, Antioch Press, center complexes in their native membranes. We are Y ellow Springs, Ohio. Fifteen years later, Roderick K. now beginning to see how the properties of native and Clayton and William R. Sistrom edited The Photosyn- modi? ed photosynthetic complexes can be harnessed thetic Bacteria (1978, Plenum Press, New York), an on the nanoscale for the design of biologically-- indispensable book for any scientist in the ? eld at that spired energy and electron transfer devices. In ad- time.In 1995, Robert Blankenship, Michael Madigan tion to these advances, we are reminded that many and Carl Bauer edited the most complete survey of new phototrophic bacteria are still being discovered, the subject, Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria. By and although it has been 45 years since the ? rst book that time, the book had been taken under the wing on these bacteria appeared, there is much that we do of the Advances in Photosynthesis Series, initiated not know or understand.