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The structure and function of thylakoid membranes in a marine diatom
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Cheong, Kuan Yu. The structure and function of thylakoid membranes in a marine diatom. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-dhvh-f141

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TitleThe structure and function of thylakoid membranes in a marine diatom
NameCheong, Kuan Yu (author); Falkowski, Paul (chair); Bhattacharya, Debashish (member); Niederman, Robert A (member); Leustek, Thomas (member); Lam, Eric (member); Bailleul, Benjamin (member); Rutgers University; School of Graduate Studies
Date Created2021
Other Date2021-10 (degree)
SubjectBiochemistry, Molecular biology, Biophysics, Photosynthesis, Thylakoids, Plant membranes, Diatoms, Plant lipids, CryoET, Electrochromic shift, Lipid, Thylakoid membranes
Extent1 online resource (xviii, 118 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionThylakoid membranes enable oxygenic photosynthesis, a crucial photobiochemical reaction that altered the history of Earth systems and sustains all present aerobic life forms. Despite centuries of research into photosynthesis, our understanding of the structure and function of thylakoid membranes is constantly evolving. This body of work aims to close the knowledge gaps in the following areas in marine diatoms: i) the spatial distribution of a photosynthetic protein complex known as photosystem II (PSII) in thylakoid membranes; ii) thylakoid lipid-protein interactions in bioenergetics for thermal acclimation; and iii) regulation of thylakoid lipid saturation through an electrical signal. To gain insights into diatoms, a dominant phytoplanktonic taxon in the climate change-sensitive polar and temperate seas, I conducted these studies in a fully sequenced and transformable model marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum. An overview of consolidated literature on these subjects is provided in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, I examined the structure and spatial distribution of PSII. Using a protocol that integrates on-grid immunogold labeling and cryo-electron tomography, I identified two populations of PSII (PSII supercomplexes and core subunit arrays) embedded in thylakoid membranes. This protocol will provide a framework to identify protein of unknown structure in crowded, near-native cellular conditions and generate structural signatures to facilitate future high-resolution structural studies. In Chapter 3, I examined the saturation of thylakoid‐associated fatty acids and their contribution to bioenergetic coupling for thermal acclimation. Data suggest that the ability of diatoms to generate a proton motive force may be a sensitive parameter for thermal sensitivity diagnosis. Based on this concept, I developed an in vivo biophysical assay that could be used for in situ evaluation of thylakoid structural integrity in phytoplankton in the open oceans. In Chapter 4, I investigated the potential role of the redox state of the plastoquinone pool in regulating nuclear-encoded fatty acid desaturases. I observed a strong connection between these two components that are critical to thylakoid structure and function. This may potentially be an important, but unrecognized retrograde signaling pathway that couples photosynthetic electron transport and the physical state of thylakoid membranes. Lastly, I summarized information gained from this dissertation and provided future direction in Chapter 5.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-dhvh-f141
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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