TY - CHAP
T1 - Engineering purple bacterial carotenoid biosynthesis to study the roles of carotenoids in light-harvesting complexes
AU - Sutherland, George A.
AU - Qian, Pu
AU - Hunter, C. Neil
AU - Swainsbury, David J. K.
AU - Hitchcock, Andrew
N1 - Funding Information: G.S. and C.N.H. acknowledge support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (award number EP/T012455/1), D.J.K.S. and C.N.H. acknowledge funding from a European Research Council (Synergy award 854126), and A.H. is a Royal Society University Research Fellow (award number URF\R1\191548).
PY - 2022/5/20
Y1 - 2022/5/20
N2 - Carotenoids are important photosynthetic pigments that play key roles in light harvesting and energy transfer, photoprotection, and in the folding, assembly, and stabilization of light-harvesting pigment–protein complexes. The genetically tractable purple phototrophic bacteria have been useful for investigating the biosynthesis and function of photosynthetic pigments and cofactors, including carotenoids. Here, we give an overview of the roles of carotenoids in photosynthesis and of their biosynthesis, focusing on the extensively studied purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides as a model organism. We provide detailed procedures for manipulating carotenoid biosynthesis, and for the preparation and analysis of the light-harvesting and photosynthetic reaction center complexes that bind them. Using appropriate examples from the literature, we discuss how such approaches have enhanced our understanding of the biosynthesis of carotenoids and the photosynthesis-related functions of these fascinating molecules.
AB - Carotenoids are important photosynthetic pigments that play key roles in light harvesting and energy transfer, photoprotection, and in the folding, assembly, and stabilization of light-harvesting pigment–protein complexes. The genetically tractable purple phototrophic bacteria have been useful for investigating the biosynthesis and function of photosynthetic pigments and cofactors, including carotenoids. Here, we give an overview of the roles of carotenoids in photosynthesis and of their biosynthesis, focusing on the extensively studied purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides as a model organism. We provide detailed procedures for manipulating carotenoid biosynthesis, and for the preparation and analysis of the light-harvesting and photosynthetic reaction center complexes that bind them. Using appropriate examples from the literature, we discuss how such approaches have enhanced our understanding of the biosynthesis of carotenoids and the photosynthesis-related functions of these fascinating molecules.
KW - Carotenoids
KW - Chlorophyll
KW - Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM)
KW - Light-harvesting complex
KW - Neurosporene
KW - Photoprotection
KW - Photosynthesis
KW - Purple bacteria
KW - Reaction center
KW - Rhodobacter sphaeroides
KW - Spheroidene
KW - Spheroidenone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130441915&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.04.001
DO - 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.04.001
M3 - Chapter
BT - Methods in Enzymology
PB - Elsevier
ER -