Open AccessOxygenic Photosynthesis
Author(s) -
Nugent Jonathan H. A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1996.00519.x
Subject(s) - cofactor , photosystem , photosynthesis , electron transfer , redox , chemistry , nad+ kinase , electron transport chain , membrane , biophysics , photosystem ii , biochemistry , photochemistry , biology , organic chemistry , enzyme
Photosystems I and II drive oxygenic photosynthesis. This requires biochemical systems with remarkable properties, allowing these membrane‐bound pigment‐protein complexes to oxidise water and produce NAD(P)H. The protein environment provides a scaffold in the membrane on which cofactors are placed at optimum distance and orientation, ensuring a rapid, efficient trapping and conversion of light energy. The polypeptide core also tunes the redox potentials of cofactors and provides for unidirectional progress of various reaction steps. The electron transfer pathways use a variety of inorganic and organic cofactors, including amino acids. This review sets out some of the current ideas and data on the cofactors and polypeptides of photosystems I and II.