PsbO Protein Research Articles

Importance of a single disulfide bond for the PsbO protein of photosystem II: protein structure stability and soluble overexpression in Escherichia coli

PsbO protein is an important constituent of the water-oxidizing complex, located on the lumenal side of photosystem II. We report here the efficient expression of the spinach PsbO in E. coli where the solubility depends entirely on the formation of the disulfide bond. The PsbO protein purified from a pET32 system that includes thioredoxin fusion is properly folded and functionally active. Urea unfolding experiments imply that the reduction of the single disulfide bridge decreases stability of the protein. Analysis of inter-residue contact density through the PsbO molecule shows that Cys51 is located in a cluster with high contact density. Reduction of the Cys28-Cys51 bond is proposed to perturb the packing interactions in this cluster and destabilize the protein as a whole. Taken together, our results give evidence that PsbO exists in solution as a compact highly ordered structure, provided that the disulfide bridge is not reduced.

Transcript profiling indicates that the absence of PsbO affects the coordination of C and N metabolism in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Transcript profiling of nitrate-grown Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 PsbO-free mutant cells in comparison to wild-type (WT) detected substantial deviations. Because we had previously observed phenotypical differences between Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 WT and its corresponding PsbO-free mutant when cultivated with l-arginine as sole N source and a light intensity of 200 mumol photons m(-2) s(-1), we also performed transcript profiling for both strains grown either with nitrate or with l-arginine as sole N source. We observed a total number of 520 differentially regulated transcripts in Synechocystis WT because of a shift from nitrate- to l-arginine-containing BG11 medium, while we detected only 13 differentially regulated transcripts for the PsbO-free mutant. Thus, the PsbO-free Synechocystis mutant had already undergone a preconditioning process for growth with l-arginine in comparison to WT. While Synechocystis WT suffered from growth with l-arginine at a light intensity of 200 mumol photons m(-2) s(-1), the PsbO-free mutant developed only a minor stress phenotype. In summary, our results suggest that the absence of PsbO in Synechocystis affects the coordination of photosynthesis/respiration and l-arginine metabolism through complex probably redox-mediated regulatory pathways. In addition, we show that a comparison of the transcriptomes of nitrate-grown Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 WT cells and its corresponding PsbO-free mutant cells resulted in only a few differentially regulated transcripts between both strains. The absence of the manganese/calcium-stabilizing PsbO protein of PSII with an assigned regulatory function for photosynthetic water oxidation causes bigger changes in the transcriptome of the permissive photoheterotrophically growing Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 than in the transcriptome of the obligate photoautotrophically growing S. elongatus PCC 7942.

Effects of heat stress on PSII photochemistry in a cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis

The effects of heat stress (30–50 °C) on photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry in a cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis grown at 30 °C were studied by measuring chlorophyll fluorescence induction kinetics and thermoluminescence. Heat stress inhibited significantly the maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry. An investigation of the kinetics of flash-induced fluorescence yield decay revealed that heat stress caused a shift of the equilibrium towards Q A but showed no effect on the kinetics of flash-induced fluorescence yield decay in the presence of DCMU. An analysis of polyphasic rise of fluorescence transients indicated that heat stress induced a decrease in the total number of PSII active reaction centers. Thermoluminescence measurements demonstrated that the B band in Spirulina cells corresponding to the S 2Q B − state consisted of two different components, the B 32 and the B 24 bands with the peak temperatures at 32 and 24 °C, respectively. The intensity of the B 32 band and the B 24 band decreased significantly with increasing temperature but the decrease of the intensity of the B 24 band was much greater than that of the B 32 band. There were no significant changes in the peak temperatures of the B 24 and B 32 bands. The intensity of the Q band corresponding to the recombination of the S 2Q A − charge pair decreased significantly with increasing temperature. The period-four oscillation of the B band was significantly damped at temperatures higher than 45 °C. The contents of D1 and PsbO proteins decreased with increasing temperature. The results in this study suggest that heat stress shows no effects on the stability of the S 2Q A − and S 2Q B − states and that the different populations of the active PSII reaction centers show different sensitivity to heat stress in S. platensis cells.

Characterization of photosystem II in salt-stressed cyanobacterial Spirulina platensis cells

PSII activity was inhibited after Spirulina platensis cells were incubated with different salt concentrations (0–0.8 M NaCl) for 12 h. Flash-induced fluorescence kinetics showed that in the absence of DCMU, the half time of the fast and slow components decreased while that of the middle component increased considerably with increasing salt concentration. In the presence of DCMU, fluorescence relaxation was dominated by a 0.6s component in control cells. After salt stress, this was partially replaced by a faster new component with half time of 20–50 ms. Thermoluminescence measurements revealed that S 2Q A − and S 2Q B − recombinations were shifted to higher temperatures in parallel and the intensities of the thermoluminescence emissions were significantly reduced in salt-stressed cells. The period-four oscillation of the thermoluminescence B band was highly damped. There were no significant changes in contents of CP47, CP43, cytochrome c550, and D1 proteins. However, content of the PsbO protein in thylakoid fraction decreased but increased significantly in soluble fraction. The results suggest that salt stress leads to a modification of the Q B niche at the acceptor side and an increase in the stability of the S 2 state at the donor side, which is associated with a dissociation of the PsbO protein.

The Psb27 Protein Facilitates Manganese Cluster Assembly in Photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII) is a large membrane protein complex that uses light energy to convert water to molecular oxygen. This enzyme undergoes an intricate assembly process to ensure accurate and efficient positioning of its many components. It has been proposed that the Psb27 protein, a lumenal extrinsic subunit, serves as a PSII assembly factor. Using a psb27 genetic deletion strain (Deltapsb27) of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, we have defined the role of the Psb27 protein in PSII biogenesis. While the Psb27 protein was not essential for photosynthetic activity, various PSII assembly assays revealed that the Deltapsb27 mutant was defective in integration of the Mn(4)Ca(1)Cl(x) cluster, the catalytic core of the oxygen-evolving machinery within the PSII complex. The other lumenal extrinsic proteins (PsbO, PsbU, PsbV, and PsbQ) are key components of the fully assembled PSII complex and are important for the water oxidation reaction, but we propose that the Psb27 protein has a distinct function separate from these subunits. We show that the Psb27 protein facilitates Mn(4)Ca(1)Cl(x) cluster assembly in PSII at least in part by preventing the premature association of the other extrinsic proteins. Thus, we propose an exchange of lumenal subunits and cofactors during PSII assembly, in that the Psb27 protein is replaced by the other extrinsic proteins upon assembly of the Mn(4)Ca(1)Cl(x) cluster. Furthermore, we show that the Psb27 protein provides a selective advantage for cyanobacterial cells under conditions such as nutrient deprivation where Mn(4)Ca(1)Cl(x) cluster assembly efficiency is critical for survival.

Expression of Protein Complexes and Individual Proteins Upon Transition of Etioplasts to Chloroplasts in Pea (Pisum sativum)

The protein complexes of pea (Pisum sativum L.) etioplasts, etio-chloroplasts and chloroplasts were examined using 2D Blue Native/SDS-PAGE. The most prominent protein complexes in etioplasts were the ATPase and the Clp and FtsH protease complexes which probably have a crucial role in the biogenesis of etioplasts and chloroplasts. Also the cytochrome b(6)f (Cyt b(6)f) complex was assembled in the etioplast membrane, as well as Rubisco, at least partially, in the stroma. These complexes are composed of proteins encoded by both the plastid and nuclear genomes, indicating that a functional cross-talk exists between pea etioplasts and the nucleus. In contrast, the proteins and protein complexes that bind chlorophyll, with the PetD subunit and the entire Cyt b(6)f complex as an exception, did not accumulate in etioplasts. Nevertheless, some PSII core components such as PsbE and the luminal oxygen-evolvong complex (OEC) proteins PsbO and PsbP accumulated efficiently in etioplasts. After 6 h de-etiolation, a complete PSII core complex appeared with 40% of the maximal photochemical efficiency, but a fully functional PSII was recorded only after 24 h illumination. Similarly, the core complex of PSI was assembled after 6 h illumination, whereas the PSI-light-harvesting complex I was stably assembled only in chloroplasts illuminated for 24 h. Moreover, a battery of proteins responsible for defense against oxidative stress accumulated particularly in etioplasts, including the stromal and thylakoidal forms of ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and PsbS.

Mutation of Residue Arginine18 of Cytochrome b559α‐Subunit and its Effects on Photosystem II Activities in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Abstract It has been known that arginine is used as the basic amino acid in the α‐subunit of cytochrome b559 (Cyt b559) except histidine. However, previous studies have focused on the function of histidine in the activities of photosystem (PS) II and there are no reports regarding the structural and/or functional roles of arginine in PSII complexes. In the present study, two arginine18 (R18) mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were constructed using site‐directed mutagenesis, in which R18 was replaced by glutamic acid (E) and glycine (G). The results show that the oxygen evolution of the PSII complex in the R18G and R18E mutants was approximately 60% of wild‐type (WT) levels and that, after irradiation at high light intensity, oxygen evolution for the PSII of mutants was reduced to zero compared with 40% in WT cells. The efficiency of light capture by PSII (Fv/Fm) of R18G and R18E mutants was approximately 42%–46% that of WT cells. Furthermore, levels of the α‐subunit of Cyt b559 and PsbO proteins were reduced in thylakoid membranes compared with WT. Overall, these data suggest that R18 plays a significant role in helping Cyt b559 maintain the structure of the PSII complex and its activity, although it is not directly bound to the heme group.

Effects of the Lack of Phosphatidylglycerol on the Donor Side of Photosystem II

Our previous studies with the pgsA mutant of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 (hereafter termed pgsA mutant), which is defective for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylglycerol (PG), revealed an important role for PG in the electron acceptor side of photosystem II (PSII), especially in the electron transport between plastoquinones Q(A) and Q(B). This study now shows that PG also plays an important role in the electron donor side of PSII, namely, the oxygen-evolving system. Analyses of purified PSII complexes indicated that PSII from PG-depleted pgsA mutant cells sustained only approximately 50% of the oxygen-evolving activity compared to wild-type cells. Dissociation of the extrinsic proteins PsbO, PsbV, and PsbU, which are required for stabilization of the manganese (Mn) cluster, followed by the release of a Mn atom, was observed in PSII of the PG-depleted mutant cells. The released PsbO rebound to PSII when PG was added back to the PG-depleted mutant cells, even when de novo protein synthesis was inhibited. Changes in photosynthetic activity of the PG-depleted pgsA mutant cells induced by heat treatment or dark incubation resembled those of DeltapsbO, DeltapsbV, and DeltapsbU mutant cells. These results suggest that PG plays an important role in binding extrinsic proteins required for sustaining a functional Mn cluster on the donor side of PSII.

Expression, assembly and auxiliary functions of photosystem II oxygen-evolving proteins in higher plants

The oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of higher plant photosystem II (PSII) consists of an inorganic Mn(4)Ca cluster and three nuclear-encoded proteins, PsbO, PsbP and PsbQ. In this review, we focus on the assembly of these OEC proteins, and especially on the role of the small intrinsic PSII proteins and recently found "novel" PSII proteins in the assembly process. The numerous auxiliary functions suggested during the past few years for the OEC proteins will likewise be discussed. For example, besides being a manganese-stabilizing protein, PsbO has been found to bind calcium and GTP and possess a carbonic anhydrase activity. In addition, specific roles have been suggested for the two isoforms of the PsbO protein in Arabidopsis thaliana. PsbP and PsbQ seem to play an additional role in the formation of PSII supercomplexes and in grana stacking, besides their originally recognized role in providing a proper calcium and chloride ion concentration for water splitting.

The Arabidopsis PsbO2 protein regulates dephosphorylation and turnover of the photosystem II reaction centre D1 protein

The extrinsic photosystem II (PSII) protein of 33 kDa (PsbO), which stabilizes the water-oxidizing complex, is represented in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) by two isoforms. Two T-DNA insertion mutant lines deficient in either the PsbO1 or the PsbO2 protein were retarded in growth in comparison with the wild type, while differing from each other phenotypically. Both PsbO proteins were able to support the oxygen evolution activity of PSII, although PsbO2 was less efficient than PsbO1 under photoinhibitory conditions. Prolonged high light stress led to reduced growth and fitness of the mutant lacking PsbO2 as compared with the wild type and the mutant lacking PsbO1. During a short period of treatment of detached leaves or isolated thylakoids at high light levels, inactivation of PSII electron transport in the PsbO2-deficient mutant was slowed down, and the subsequent degradation of the D1 protein was totally inhibited. The steady-state levels of in vivo phosphorylation of the PSII reaction centre proteins D1 and D2 were specifically reduced in the mutant containing only PsbO2, in comparison with the mutant containing only PsbO1 or with wild-type plants. Phosphorylation of PSII proteins in vitro proceeded similarly in thylakoid membranes from both mutants and wild-type plants. However, dephosphorylation of the D1 protein occurred much faster in the thylakoids containing only PsbO2. We conclude that the function of PsbO1 in Arabidopsis is mostly in support of PSII activity, whereas the interaction of PsbO2 with PSII regulates the turnover of the D1 protein, increasing its accessibility to the phosphatases and proteases involved in its degradation.

Protective effect of bicarbonate against extraction of the extrinsic proteins of the water-oxidizing complex from Photosystem II membrane fragments

A protective effect of bicarbonate (BC) against extraction of the extrinsic proteins, predominantly the Mn-stabilizing protein (PsbO protein), during treatment of Photosystem II (PS II) membrane fragment from pea with 2 M urea, and at low pH (using incubation in 0.2 M glycine–HCl buffer, pH 3.5 or 0.5 M citrate buffer, pH 4.0–4.5) was detected. It was shown that the extraction of the proteins with Mw 24 kDa (PsbP protein) and 18 kDa (PsbQ protein) by the use of highly concentrated solutions of NaCl does not depend on the presence of BC in the medium. An optimal concentration of BC at which it produces the maximum protecting effect was shown to be between 1 mM and 10 mM. The addition of formate did not influence the protein extraction but it reduced the stabilizing effect of BC. Independence of the stabilizing effect on the presence of the functionally active Mn within the water-oxidizing complex indicates that the protecting effect of BC is not related to its interaction with Mn ions. The fact that there is a preferable sensitivity of the PsbO protein to the absence of BC in the medium during all the treatments makes it possible to suggest that either BC interacts directly with the PsbO protein or it binds to some other sites within PS II and this binding facilitates the preservation of the native structure of this protein.

Subsequent events to GTP binding by the plant PsbO protein: Structural changes, GTP hydrolysis and dissociation from the photosystem II complex

Besides an essential role in optimizing water oxidation in photosystem II (PSII), it has been reported that the spinach PsbO protein binds GTP [C. Spetea, T. Hundal, B. Lundin, M. Heddad, I. Adamska, B. Andersson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101 (2004) 1409–1414]. Here we predict four GTP-binding domains in the structure of spinach PsbO, all localized in the β-barrel domain of the protein, as judged from comparison with the 3D-structure of the cyanobacterial counterpart. These domains are not conserved in the sequences of the cyanobacterial or green algae PsbO proteins. MgGTP induces specific changes in the structure of the PsbO protein in solution, as detected by circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. Spinach PsbO has a low intrinsic GTPase activity, which is enhanced fifteen-fold when the protein is associated with the PSII complex in its dimeric form. GTP stimulates the dissociation of PsbO from PSII under light conditions known to also release Mn 2+ and Ca 2+ ions from the oxygen-evolving complex and to induce degradation of the PSII reaction centre D1 protein. We propose the occurrence in higher plants of a PsbO-mediated GTPase activity associated with PSII, which has consequences for the function of the oxygen-evolving complex and D1 protein turnover.

Identification of a Calcium-Binding Site in the PsbO Protein of Photosystem II

Analysis of the anomalous X-diffraction data reported by Ferreira et al. (PDB entry 1S5L) for crystals of photosystem II isolated from Thermosynechococcus elongatus indicates that a calcium ion is bound to the PsbO protein. The Ca2+-binding site is located close to the lumenal exit of a putative proton channel leading from the water splitting site.

Functional analysis of the PsbP-like protein (sll1418) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

A recent proteomic analysis of the thylakoid lumen of Arabidopsis thaliana revealed the presence of several PsbP-like proteins, and a homologue to this gene family was detected in the genome of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Schubert M, Petersson UA, Haas BJ, Funk C, Schröder WP, Kieselbach T (2002) J Biol Chem 277, 8354-8365). Using a peptide-directed antibody against this cyanobacterial PsbP-like protein (sll1418) we could show that it was localized in the thylakoid membrane and associated with Photosystem II. While salt washes did not remove the PsbP-like protein from the thylakoid membrane, it was partially lost during the detergent-based isolation of PSII membrane fractions. In total cell extracts this protein is present in the same amount as the extrinsic PsbO protein. We did not see any significant functional difference between the wild-type and a PsbP-like insertion mutant.

Synthesis and assembly of thylakoid protein complexes: multiple assembly steps of photosystem II.

To study the synthesis and assembly of multisubunit thylakoid protein complexes, we performed [35S]Met pulse and chase experiments with isolated chloroplasts and intact leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), followed by Blue Native gel separation of the (sub)complexes and subsequent identification of the newly synthesized and assembled protein subunits. PSII (photosystem II) core subunits were the most intensively synthesized proteins, particularly in vitro and at high light intensities in vivo, and could be sequestered in several distinct PSII subassemblies. Newly synthesized D1 was first found in the reaction centre complex that also contained labelled D2 and two labelled low-molecular-mass proteins. The next biggest PSII subassembly contained CP47 also. Then PsbH was assembled together with at least two other labelled chloroplast-encoded low-molecular-mass subunits, PsbM and PsbTc, and a nuclear-encoded PsbR. Subsequently, CP43 was inserted into the PSII complex concomitantly with PsbK. These assembly steps seemed to be essential for the dimerization of PSII core monomers. Intact PSII core monomer was the smallest subcomplex harbouring the newly synthesized 33 kDa oxygen-evolving complex protein PsbO. Nuclear-encoded PsbW was synthesized only at low light intensities concomitantly with Lhcb polypeptides and was distinctively present in PSII-LHCII (where LHC stands for light-harvesting complex) supercomplexes. The PsbH protein, on the contrary, was vigorously synthesized and incorporated into PSII core monomers together with the D1 protein, suggesting an intrinsic role for PsbH in the photoinhibition-repair cycle of PSII.

Functional dissection of two Arabidopsis PsbO proteins

PsbO protein is an extrinsic subunit of photosystem II (PSII) and has been proposed to play a central role in stabilization of the catalytic manganese cluster. Arabidopsis thaliana has two psbO genes that express two PsbO proteins; PsbO1 and PsbO2. We reported previously that a mutant plant that lacked PsbO1 (psbo1) showed considerable growth retardation despite the presence of PsbO2 [Murakami, R., Ifuku, K., Takabayashi, A., Shikanai, T., Endo, T., and Sato, F. (2002) FEBS Lett523, 138-142]. In the present study, we characterized the functional differences between PsbO1 and PsbO2. We found that PsbO1 is the major isoform in the wild-type, and the amount of PsbO2 in psbo1 was significantly less than the total amount of PsbO in the wild-type. The amount of PsbO as well as the efficiency of PSII in psbo1 increased as the plants grew; howeVER, it neVER reached the total PsbO level observed in the wild-type, suggesting that the poor activity of PSII in psbo1 was caused by a shortage of PsbO. In addition, an in vitro reconstitution experiment using recombinant PsbOs and urea-washed PSII particles showed that oxygen evolution was better recoVERed by PsbO1 than by PsbO2. Further analysis using chimeric and mutated PsbOs suggested that the amino acid changes Val186-->Ser, Leu246-->Ile, and Val204-->Ile could explain the functional difference between the two PsbOs. Therefore we concluded that both the lower expression level and the inferior functionality of PsbO2 are responsible for the phenotype observed in psbo1.

Thermostability and Ca2+Binding Properties of Wild Type and Heterologously Expressed PsbO Protein from Cyanobacterial Photosystem II

Oxygenic photosynthesis takes place in the thylakoid membrane of cyanobacteria, algae, and higher plants. Initially light is absorbed by an oligomeric pigment-protein complex designated as photosystem II (PSII), which catalyzes light-induced water cleavage under release of molecular oxygen for the biosphere on our planet. The membrane-extrinsic manganese stabilizing protein (PsbO) is associated on the lumenal side of the thylakoids close to the redox-active (Mn)(4)Ca cluster at the catalytically active site of PSII. Recombinant PsbO from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus was expressed in Escherichia coli and spectroscopically characterized. The secondary structure of recombinant PsbO (recPsbO) was analyzed in the absence and presence of Ca(2+) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and circular dichroism spectropolarimetry (CD). No significant structural changes could be observed when the PSII subunit was titrated with Ca(2+) in vitro. These findings are compared with data for spinach PsbO. Our results are discussed in the light of the recent 3D-structural analysis of the oxygen-evolving PSII and structural/thermodynamic differences between the two homologous proteins from thermophilic cyanobacteria and plants.

Evidence that D1 Processing Is Required for Manganese Binding and Extrinsic Protein Assembly into Photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII) is a large membrane protein complex that catalyzes oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. During its normal function, PSII is damaged and frequently turned over. The maturation of the D1 protein, a key component in PSII, is a critical step in PSII biogenesis. The precursor form of D1 (pD1) contains a C-terminal extension, which is removed by the protease CtpA to yield PSII complexes with oxygen evolution activity. To determine the temporal position of D1 processing in the PSII assembly pathway, PSII complexes containing only pD1 were isolated from a CtpA-deficient strain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803. Although membranes from the mutant cell had nearly 50% manganese, no manganese was detected in isolated DeltactpAHT3 PSII, indicating a severely decreased manganese affinity. However, chlorophyll fluorescence decay kinetics after a single saturating flash suggested that the donor Y(Z) was accessible to exogenous Mn(2+) ions. Furthermore, the extrinsic proteins PsbO, PsbU, and PsbV were not present in PSII isolated from this mutant. However, PsbO and PsbV were present in mutant membranes, but the amount of PsbV protein was consistently less in the mutant membranes compared with the control membranes. We conclude that D1 processing precedes manganese binding and assembly of the extrinsic proteins into PSII. Interestingly, the Psb27 protein was found to be more abundant in DeltactpAHT3 PSII than in HT3 PSII, suggesting a possible role of Psb27 as an assembly factor during PSII biogenesis.

Isolation and Characterization of Oxygen-Evolving Photosystem II Complexes Retaining the PsbO, P and Q Proteins from Euglena gracilis

Oxygen-evolving photosystem II (PSII) complexes of Euglena gracilis were isolated and characterized. (1) The PSII complexes contained three extrinsic proteins of 33 kDa (PsbO), 23 kDa (PsbP) and 17 kDa (PsbQ), and showed oxygen-evolving activity of around 700 micromol O2 (mg Chl)(-1) h(-1) even in the absence of Cl- and Ca2+ ions. (2) NaCl-treatment removed not only PsbP and PsbQ but also a part of PsbO from Euglena PSII, indicating that PsbO binds to Euglena PSII more loosely than those of other organisms. Treatments by urea/NaCl, alkaline Tris or CaCl2 completely removed the three extrinsic proteins from Euglena PSII. (3) Each of the Euglena extrinsic proteins bound directly to PSII independent of the other extrinsic proteins, which is similar to the binding properties of the extrinsic proteins in a green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. (4) One of the significant features of Euglena PSII is that the oxygen evolution was not enhanced by Ca2+. When CaCl2-treated Euglena PSII was reconstituted with PsbO, the oxygen-evolving activity was stimulated by the addition of NaCl, but no further stimulation was observed by CaCl2. (5) Oxygen evolution of Euglena PSII reconstituted with PsbO from C. reinhardtii or spinach instead of that from Euglena also showed no enhancement by Ca2+, whereas a significant enhancement of oxygen evolution was observed by Ca2+ when the green algal or higher plant PSII was reconstituted with Euglena PsbO instead of their own PsbO. These results indicate that the PSII intrinsic proteins instead of the extrinsic PsbO protein, are responsible for the stimulation of oxygen evolution by Ca2+. Sequence comparison of major PSII intrinsic proteins revealed that PsbI of Euglena PSII is remarkably different from other organisms in that Euglena PsbI possesses extra 16-17 residues exposed to the luminal side. This may be related to the loss of enhancement of oxygen evolution by Ca2+ ion.

Analysis of the Structure of the PsbO Protein and its Implications

The PsbO protein is a ubiquitous extrinsic subunit of Photosystem II (PS II), the water splitting enzyme of photosynthesis. A recently determined 3D X-ray structure of a cyanobacterial protein bound to PS II has given an opportunity to conduct complete analyses of its sequence and structural characteristics using bioinformatic methods. Multiple sequence alignments for the PsbO family are constructed and correlated with the cyanobacterial structure. We identify the most conserved regions of PsbO and the mapping of their positions within the structure indicates their functional roles especially in relation to interactions of this protein with the lumenal surface of PS II. Homologous models for eukaryotic PsbO were built in order to compare with the prokaryotic protein. We also explore structural homology between PsbO and other proteins for which 3D structures are known and determine its structural classification. These analyses contribute to the understanding of the function and evolutionary origin of the PS II manganese stabilising protein.