Structure and Function of Supramolecular Assemblies of Photosynthetic Antenna Complexes

Abstract

To clarify structure-function relationships of membrane protein assemblies, experimental platforms suitable for them are required. In photosynthetic bacteria, light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) and light harvesting/reaction center core complex (LH1-RC) play the key roles of capturing and transferring light energy and subsequent charge separation. These photosynthetic apparatuses form a supramolecular assembly in the photosynthetic membrane; however, how the assembly influences the efficiency of energy conversion is not yet clear. Here, we describe our recent works addressing evaluation of structure-function relationship of the supramolecular assembly of the photosynthetic antenna complexes in various lipid bilayer systems.