Cytochrome b6f
Photosynthesis is the basis of life on Earth, which provides the food, oxygen and energy that sustain the biosphere and human civilization. Within this framework, a team of scientists led by experts from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom have solved the structure of one of the key components of photosynthesis, the Cytochrome b6f.
Using a high-resolution structural model, the team discovered that the protein complex provides the electrical connection between the two chlorophyll proteins (Photosystems I and II) found in the chloroplast of plant cells that convert sunlight into chemical energy.
The high-resolution structural model used in this investigation and discovery, determined by single-particle cryoelectronic microscopy, reveals new details of the additional role of the Cytochrome b6f as a sensor to adjust photosynthetic efficiency in response to constantly changing environmental conditions. The function of this mechanism is to protect the plant from damage during this changing exposure resulting from stressful conditions, such as drought or excess light.
Clearly this discovery could lead to photosynthesis to be "redesigned" to achieve higher yields of plants and crops, in the perspective of satisfying the urgent food security needs that humanity requires in the immediate future, achieving higher yields to maintain global population that can reach 10.000 million people by 2050.
The study, published in the magazine Nature, according to words of Lorna Malone, the first author of the study and PhD student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Sheffield, “provides important new ideas on how the Cytochrome b6f It uses the electrical current that passes through it to light a 'proton battery'. This stored energy can be used to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy currency of living cells ”, and adds that“ ultimately, this reaction provides the energy that plants need to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and biomass that sustain the global food chain. ”
Sheffield University doctor and biochemist Matt Johnson, one of the study supervisors, adds that “the Cytochrome b6f it is the heart of photosynthesis, which plays a crucial role in the regulation of photosynthetic efficiency, and that in previous studies have shown that by manipulating the levels of this complex we can grow larger and better plants. ”
Definitely, the discovery made by the team of research scientists at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom opens unimaginable perspectives regarding the technological management of crops and great possibilities of qualitative leaps regarding the quality and quantity of agricultural products in the short term. .
Previous article
Export of blueberries by Áncash doubled in 2019ARTÍCULOS RELACIONADOS
