Assembly and evolution of a photosynthetic antenna

光合天线的组装和演化

• 批准号: BB/W008076/1
• 负责人: Daniel Canniffe
• 金额: $ 60.52万
• 依托单位: University of Liverpool
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FW008076%2F1
• 关键词: Assembly; evolution; photosynthetic; antenna

Photosynthesis is the source of all the food we eat, and almost all of the energy we use. This process uses sunlight to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into carbohydrates that feed the planet. Sunlight is captured by chlorophyll pigments that are arranged and held in place by proteins; these pigment-protein arrangements are known as antenna complexes. Antennas collect the light energy and funnel it towards specialised 'reaction centres', where the energy is converted to a form that can be used by the cell.Plants and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) use chlorophyll (Chl) pigments to capture visible light (400-700 nm) to perform 'oxygenic' photosynthesis, releasing the oxygen that supports respiration. Additionally, a diverse assortment of bacteria are also capable of using light outside this range (>700 nm), which we cannot see but feel as heat, to perform 'anoxygenic' photosynthesis. This mode of photosynthesis relies on the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) pigments, rather than Chls.The majority of anoxygenic photosynthesisers use BChl a to harvest light between 750-900 nm, although Rhodospirillum rubrum is a well-studied example that unusually cannot harvest light effectively up to 850 nm because it lacks the common antenna complex. This project aims to transfer the antenna of another photosynthetic bacterium to Rhodospirillum rubrum, to allow the new, hybrid organism to capture light it was not previously able to.Further modifications to the new bacterium will be made by targeted alterations to the genome, and mutations will also be naturally acquired by growing the organism under light that can only be absorbed by the new antenna complex, a process that mirrors natural evolution, but that can be speeded-up in the laboratory.Achieving these aims will reveal how to assemble and regulate the production of pigment-protein complexes in other simple bacteria, with the long-term goal of putting boosted light-capturing ability to use to tackle some of humanity's impending fuel and food supply challenges in a sustainable manner. This could also have a positive effect on climate change; increased removal of CO2 greenhouse gas, and its conversion into sugars, could slow the warming of the planet, and mitigate the damage to the environment.

光合作用是我们吃的所有食物的来源，也是我们使用的几乎所有能量的来源。这个过程利用阳光去除大气中的二氧化碳，并将其转化为碳水化合物，为地球提供食物。阳光被叶绿素色素捕获，叶绿素色素由蛋白质排列并固定在适当的位置；这些色素-蛋白质排列被称为天线复合物。天线收集光能并将其输送到专门的“反应中心”，在那里能量被转化为细胞可以使用的形式。植物和蓝藻（蓝绿藻）使用叶绿素 (Chl) 色素来捕获可见光（400-700 nm）进行“产氧”光合作用，释放支持呼吸的氧气。此外，多种细菌也能够利用此范围（>700 nm）之外的光（我们看不见但感觉为热）来进行“缺氧”光合作用。这种光合作用模式依赖于细菌叶绿素 (BChl) 色素，而不是 Chls。大多数无氧光合作用者使用 BChl a 来收集 750-900 nm 之间的光，尽管红色红螺菌是一个经过充分研究的例子，但它通常无法有效地收集光到 850 nm，因为它缺乏常见的天线复合体。该项目旨在将另一种光合细菌的触角转移到红色红螺菌上，使这种新的杂交生物能够捕获以前无法捕获的光。对新细菌的进一步修改将通过对基因组和突变进行有针对性的改变也可以通过在只能被新天线复合体吸收的光下培养生物体来自然获得，这一过程反映了自然进化，但可以在实验室中加速。实现这些目标将揭示如何组装和调节其他简单细菌中色素-蛋白质复合物的产生，其长期目标是利用增强的光捕获能力以可持续的方式应对人类即将面临的一些燃料和食品供应挑战。这也可能对气候变化产生积极影响；增加二氧化碳温室气体的去除并将其转化为糖，可以减缓地球变暖，并减轻对环境的破坏。

项目成果

Common loss of far-red light photoacclimation in cyanobacteria from hot and cold deserts: a case study in the Chroococcidiopsidales.

• DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00319-4
• 发表时间: 2023-10-19
• 期刊: ISME COMMUNICATIONS
• 作者: Antonaru, Laura A;Selinger, Vera M;Jung, Patrick;Di Stefano, Giorgia;Sanderson, Nicholas D;Barker, Leanne;Wilson, Daniel J;Budel, Burkhard;Canniffe, Daniel P;Billi, Daniela;Nurnberg, Dennis J
• 通讯作者: Nurnberg, Dennis J