Plants are able to produce energy in the sunlight via photosynthesis. But too much of this radiation is as harmful as its deficiency. Therefore plants have mechanisms that allow them to switch from the “receiver” of energy in the state of “lens” when sunlight is used for energy production. Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry article, a team of scientists from USA reported the presence of lipid, which is involved in the control of this process.
“in the course of photosynthesis is present many dangers, says one of the researchers, Professor Institute of biological chemistry Washington state University Helmut Kirchhoff. — If the plants take the light energy which they do not properly utilize for metabolic processes, it can lead to poisoning and cell death. In this regard, it really helps switching light-harvesting complexes from active to inactive when they cease to collect light energy for use in metabolic processes.”
Initially, the authors of the new study created a tool that allows you to figure out how the lipid molecules in cell membranes that perform a variety of functions — interact with proteins in chloroplasts, the part of plant cells where photosynthesis occurs. The researchers found that one specific type of lipid that does not form a lipid bilayer of the cell membrane, can control the switching of the light-harvesting complexes.
Scientists suspected that this compound plays a role in the control of the structure and function of membrane proteins, but did not know the exact mechanism of such influence. New research tool has allowed to figure it out and showed how plants regulate the intensity of their photosynthesis to maintain it in a safe framework.
The authors suggest that their discovery can be used to optimize specific crops under their growing conditions to get from the Sun energy was not spent for them is wasted, and stocked for later use by the plant or person. Now the researchers plan to apply their method of analysis for the study of other protein-lipid interactions in plants to get maximum information about the processes inside them.
