In this section
@article{Leong:2026,
author = {Leong, M and Consoli, G and Davis, G and Hancox-Lachman, B and Renard, K and Tufail, F and Lee, LE and Gautier, L and Murray, JW and Fantuzzi, A and Rutherford, AW},
journal = {Nature Communications},
title = {Mapping the absorption landscape of far-red Photosystem II},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Far-red light photoacclimation enables some cyanobacteria to survive in white-light depleted environments by extending the red limit of photosynthesis 1,2. In far-red Photosystem II, paralogous subunits replace their canonical counterparts, allowing the incorporation of some chlorophyll f molecules and one chlorophyll d that are red-shifted and spectrally distinct from the chlorophyll a manifold, and from each other 2. Here, we present a comparative study of far-red Photosystem II from Chroococcidiopsis thermalis PCC 7203 and Calothrix sp. NIES-3974. In C. thermalis, the cryo-electron microscopy structure reveals a previously undetected, far-red exclusive subunit, PsbH2’, which forms part of a chlorophyll f binding site and could interact with the far-red allophycocyanin. We also assign four chlorophyll f sites, with one differing from previous reports 3,4, using sequence comparisons and electrostatic potential analyses. In Calothrix, psbH2’ is absent, and the same analyses show that only two of these sites are present. Comparative phylogenetic, structural, and spectroscopic analyses allow the assignment of specific wavelengths to all the red-shifted chlorophylls, which is not possible in chlorophyll-a-only photosystems due to spectral overlap. This provides the detailed framework needed to model excitation energy transfer in far-red Photosystem II, and to understand the conserved features that allow survival under far-red light.
AU - Leong,M
AU - Consoli,G
AU - Davis,G
AU - Hancox-Lachman,B
AU - Renard,K
AU - Tufail,F
AU - Lee,LE
AU - Gautier,L
AU - Murray,JW
AU - Fantuzzi,A
AU - Rutherford,AW
PY - 2026///
SN - 2041-1723
TI - Mapping the absorption landscape of far-red Photosystem II
T2 - Nature Communications
ER -
Interested in studying a PhD at the Department of Life Sciences? Find out more about postgraduate research opportunties.