Bag Pushan
Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, UPSC, Umeå University, 90736 Umeå, Sweden.
Plants (Basel). 2021 Jun 10;10(6):1184. doi: 10.3390/plants10061184.
Photosynthesis is the major natural process that can harvest and harness solar energy into chemical energy. Photosynthesis is performed by a vast number of organisms from single cellular bacteria to higher plants and to make the process efficient, all photosynthetic organisms possess a special type of pigment protein complex(es) that is (are) capable of trapping light energy, known as photosynthetic light-harvesting antennae. From an evolutionary point of view, simpler (unicellular) organisms typically have a simple antenna, whereas higher plants possess complex antenna systems. The higher complexity of the antenna systems provides efficient fine tuning of photosynthesis. This relationship between the complexity of the antenna and the increasing complexity of the organism is mainly related to the remarkable acclimation capability of complex organisms under fluctuating environmental conditions. These antenna complexes not only harvest light, but also provide photoprotection under fluctuating light conditions. In this review, the evolution, structure, and function of different antenna complexes, from single cellular organisms to higher plants, are discussed in the context of the ability to acclimate and adapt to cope under fluctuating environmental conditions.
光合作用是能够将太阳能收集并转化为化学能的主要自然过程。从单细胞细菌到高等植物，大量生物体都能进行光合作用。为了使这一过程高效进行，所有光合生物都拥有一种特殊类型的色素蛋白复合体，能够捕获光能，即光合捕光天线。从进化的角度来看，较为简单的（单细胞）生物通常具有简单的天线，而高等植物则拥有复杂的天线系统。天线系统的更高复杂性为光合作用提供了高效的微调。天线的复杂性与生物体日益增加的复杂性之间的这种关系，主要与复杂生物体在波动环境条件下显著的适应能力有关。这些天线复合体不仅能收集光线，还能在光线波动条件下提供光保护。在这篇综述中，将从适应和应对波动环境条件的能力这一背景下，讨论从单细胞生物到高等植物的不同天线复合体的进化、结构和功能。
