A PRIMARY LIGHT HARVESTING SYSTEM: PHYCOBILISOMES AND ASSOCIATED MEMBRANES January 1, 1976 – December 31, 1976

摘要

Phycobilisomes, which function as light harvesting antennae in red and blue-green algae, are structured for maximum energy transfer from the phycobiliprotcins to chlorophyll in the photosynthetic lamellae. An immunoelectron microscopic procedure was devised by which it was possible to show that allophycocyanin is located on the photosynthetic membrane, but apparently is not a structural component thereof. This seems to be an important adaptive mechanism; because algae need not alter the membrane structure when adjusting their phycobilisome number according to variations with light intensity. Location of allophycocyanin on the membrane is significant because it facilitates the energy transfer to chlorophyll.