Photosynthesis is the basis of life on Earth as we know it. The primary event in photosynthesis is the conversion of the energy of a photon into electrochemical energy. Our understanding of this event was greatly promoted by the determination of the three-dimensional structures of photosynthetic reaction centers, which are protein-pigment complexes that catalyze this conversion.
In my lecture I will describe the determination of the 3D structure of the reaction center from the purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis (now called Blastochloris viridis), which was the first high resolution structure of an integral membrane protein. I will then cover functional aspects of reaction centers. Finally, I will give an overview of subsequent reaction center structures, and of current views of the evolution of these macromolecular complexes. |
