光合作用光能的吸收、传递和转化是由位于光合膜上具有特定的分子排列和空间构象的色素蛋白复合物光系统Ⅱ(PSⅡ)和光系统Ⅰ(PSⅠ)所推动的.其中PSⅠ是一个具有极高效率的太阳能转化系统,其量子转化效率几乎为100%,但其高效吸能、传能和转能的结构基础尚不清楚.从高等植物碗豆的叶片提取了高纯度的光系统Ⅰ-捕光天线Ⅰ(PSⅠ-LHCⅠ)色素蛋白超分子复合物,并制备和解析了其2.8?的晶体结构[1].PSⅠ-LHCⅠ超分子复合物由16个蛋白亚基组成,总分子量约600 k D.本结构全面解析了高等植物PSⅠ-LHCⅠ的精细结构,揭示了PSⅠ-LHCⅠ的4个不同的捕光天线(Lhca1,Lhca2,Lhca3,Lhca4)在与PSⅠ核心复合物结合状态下的结构和它们的异同,以及它们之间的相互关系;揭示了LHCⅠ全新的色素网络系统,辨别了叶绿素a和b的不同位置,并阐明了4对红叶绿素(red Chls)和13个类胡萝卜素的结合位点和结构.根据所解析的结构,提出了由LHCⅠ向PSⅠ核心复合物能量传递的4条重要的可能途径.这些结果为揭示高等植物PSⅠ高效吸能、传能和转能的机理奠定了坚实的结构基础.本文将介绍所解析的高等植物PSⅠ-LHCⅠ的精细结构,并讨论PSⅠ-LHCⅠ能量传递机制.
Two cDNAs encoding putative type 1 acyl-CoA： diacylglycerol acyltransferases （DGAT1, EC 2.3.1.20）, were cloned from Tetraena mongolica Maxim., an extreme xerophyte with high oil content in the stems. The 1,488-bp and 1,485-bp of the open reading frame （ORF） of the two cDNAs, designated as TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b, were both predicted to encode proteins of 495 and 494 amino acids, respectively. Southern blot analysis revealed that TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b both had low copy numbers in the T. mongolica genome. In addition to ubiquitous expression with different intensity in different tissues, including stems, leaves and roots, TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b, were found to be strongly induced by high salinity, drought and osmotic stress, resulting in a remarkable increase of triacylglycerol （TAG） accumulation in T. mongolica plantlets. TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b activities were confirmed in the yeast H1246 quadruple mutant （DGA1, LRO1, ARE1, ARE2） by restoring DGAT activity of the mutant host to produce TAG. Overexpression of TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b in soybean hairy roots as well as in T. mongolica calli both resulted in an increase in oil content （ranging from 37% to 108%）, accompanied by altered fatty acid profiles.
