Biochemistry Online: An Approach Based on Chemical Logic

Biochemistry Online

CHAPTER 8 - OXIDATION/PHOSPHORYLATION

D:  THE LIGHT REACTION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

BIOCHEMISTRY - DR. JAKUBOWSKI

04/15/16

Learning Goals/Objectives for Chapter 8D: 

After class and this reading, students will be able to

  • described the mechanistic similarities between mitochondrial oxidative/phosophorylation in which NADH and FADH2 are regenerated on reduction of O2 and the light reaction of photosynthesis in which O2 and a reducing agent, NADPH are produced;
  • describe similarities in fluorescence resonance energy transfer and exciton transfer;
  • describe the difference in properties between chlorophylls acting as antennae and chlorophylls at the reaction center;
  • describe how sunlight driven excitation of chlorophyll molecules at the reaction center produces an oxidzing agent strong enough to oxide water and form O2, itself a powerful oxidizing agent;
  • explain the general flow of electrons from dioxgen to NADP+ through a series of mobile and membrane protein bound electron carriers in the Z scheme of electron transport in the chloroplast thylacoid membranes;
  • explain with picture diagrams how oxidation of H2O and phosphorylation reactions (to produce ATP) are coupled in in the Z scheme;

D10.  Links and References

Photosynthesis - ASU

Photosynthesis on the Web - 2002

  1. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology (2012) 16, 11–18. DOI 10.1016/j.cbpa.2012.03.003
  2.  Nature (2011) 473, 55,-61. 
  3. Journal of Biophysical Chemistry (2012) 3, 111-126.  doi:10.4236/jbpc.2012.32013
  4.  Coordination Chemistry Reviews (2012) 256, 2445– 2452
  5. Sessions, A. et al. The Continuing Puzzle of the Great Oxidation Event.  Currrent Biology, 19, R567–R574 (2009)
  6. Alper, J. Water Splitting Goes Au Naturel.  Science, 299, pg 1686 (2003)
  7. Demming-Adams, B. & Adams, W. Antioxidants in photosynthesis and human nutrition. Science. 298, pg 2149 (2002)
  8. Jordan et al. 3D Structure of Cyanobacterial Photosystem I (shows how chlorophylls use solar energy to transport electrons)  Nature. 411. pg 896, 909 ((2001)
  9. Balabin and Onuchic. Exploiting thermal motion in electron transfer (combined molecular dynamics, quantum mechanics to study e transfer in photosynthetic reaction center)  Science. 290. pg 61, 114 (2000)
  10. Dismukes.  Photosynthesis:  Splitting Water.  Science. 292. pg 447 (2001)

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