reviewAnnual Review of Plant BiologyMar 6, 2015Closed access

The Structure of Photosystem II and the Mechanism of Water Oxidation in Photosynthesis

Okayama University

PubMed
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Abstract

Oxygenic photosynthesis forms the basis of aerobic life on earth by converting light energy into biologically useful chemical energy and by splitting water to generate molecular oxygen. The water-splitting and oxygen-evolving reaction is catalyzed by photosystem II (PSII), a huge, multisubunit membrane-protein complex located in the thylakoid membranes of organisms ranging from cyanobacteria to higher plants. The structure of PSII has been analyzed at 1.9-Å resolution by X-ray crystallography, revealing a clear picture of the Mn4CaO5 cluster, the catalytic center for water oxidation. This article provides an overview of the overall structure of PSII followed by detailed descriptions of the specific structure…

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732
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Authors

1

Topics & keywords

Keywords
  • Photosystem II
  • Photosynthesis
  • Thylakoid
  • Cyanobacteria
  • Oxygen-evolving complex
  • Oxygen evolution
  • Water splitting
  • Cluster (spacecraft)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Clean water and sanitation
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