The organization of thylakoid membranes as shown by linear dichroism and fluorescence polarization of aligned membranes
Year: 1986
Type: article
Abstract: A critical overview is presented on linear dichroism and fluorescence polarization measurements of thylakoid membranes and functional subunits. The focus was set on methodological problems and on the results about (a) the organization of chlorophylls in the pigment-protein complexes and (b) on the orientation pattern of various pigment-protein complexes within the membranes. Data on (b) were scarce in the literature. On the basis of experiments and model calculations a new method has been proposed. The basic concept was that orientation angles of pigment-protein complexes are averages formed from various spreads of distribution which depend on the fluidity of the lipid environment. With linolenic acid (as a fluidizing agent) the spread of distribution could be increased. This treatment, depending on the mean value of orientation of the complex, changed linear dichroism in a characteristic manner. From these changes one can draw conclusion on the mean orientation of the complex prior treatment. This procedure was difficult to apply in fluorescence polarization measurements because interactions between donor and acceptor molecules and photoselection effects are also to be considered.
Authors: Á. Faludi-Dániel, T. Szitó, J.G. Kiss, G.I. Garab
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4402172003