Photosynthetic acclimation
The light harvesting complex is composed of trimeric and monomeric antenna proteins containing Chlorophyll a and b pigments and carotenoids. Its role is to capture the light energy and transfer it in the form of excitation to the chlorophyll of the reaction centers and to dissipate the excess of light energy when the light input overcomes the photosynthetic capacity. Furthermore, constituting a large portion of the photosynthetic protein, the light harvesting complex play a role on the overall organisation of the thylakoid membrane. The goal of the research project is to investigate the role of the phosphorylation of each LHCII subunit in the photosynthetic acclimation to different light conditions. The project aims to answer the following questions: What are the specific roles of the different isoforms? Would a modified isoform lacking the N-terminal phosphorylation still allow acclimation to different light conditions? What is the contribution of the N-terminus and the protein core in defining the role of each isoform? Is it possible to alter the phosphorylation kinetics and will this affect the adaptation dynamics?