Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Vorobyovi gory, 1/12, 119992 Moscow, Russia.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2011 Jan;89(1):3-15. doi: 10.1007/s00253-010-2879-6. Epub 2010 Sep 28.
Hydrogen is definitely one of the most acceptable fuels in the future. Some photosynthetic microorganisms, such as green algae and cyanobacteria, can produce hydrogen gas from water by using solar energy. In green algae, hydrogen evolution is coupled to the photosynthetic electron transport in thylakoid membranes via reaction catalyzed by the specific enzyme, (FeFe)-hydrogenase. However, this enzyme is highly sensitive to oxygen and can be quickly inhibited when water splitting is active. A problem of incompatibility between the water splitting and hydrogenase reaction can be overcome by depletion of algal cells of sulfur which is essential element for life. In this review the mechanisms underlying sustained hydrogen photoproduction in sulfur deprived C. reinhardtii and the recent achievements in studying of this process are discussed. The attention is focused on the biophysical and physiological aspects of photosynthetic response to sulfur deficiency in green algae.
氢气无疑是未来最可接受的燃料之一。一些光合微生物，如绿藻和蓝细菌，可以利用太阳能将水转化为氢气。在绿藻中，通过特定酶（FeFe）-氢化酶的催化反应，氢的释放与类囊体膜中的光合作用电子传递偶联。然而，这种酶对氧气非常敏感，当水分解活跃时，它可以迅速被抑制。通过耗尽藻类细胞中的硫（生命所必需的元素）可以克服水分解和氢化酶反应之间的不兼容性问题。在本综述中，讨论了在硫饥饿的莱茵衣藻中持续进行氢光生产的机制，以及在研究这一过程中取得的最新进展。重点放在了光合生物对绿藻硫缺乏的生物物理和生理响应方面。
