Abstract
Light harvesting antenna of photosystem II is composed of two classes: the inner antenna and the outer antenna. In a green alga C. reinhardtii, the outer antenna consists of the major antenna LHCII and the minor antennas CP29 and CP26. Light harvesting antenna of photosystem I is mainly composed of the polypeptides called LHCI. In this study, we investigated localization of the minor antennas. Initially, the thylakoid membranes were solubilized with dodecyl-β-D-maltoside and fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The fractions were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting by using antibody raised against various LHC proteins. Secondly, to explore the details of localization of the minor antennas, we determined amino acid sequences of the polypeptides on the SDS-PAGE gel. Finally, we purified a supercomplex that retained the minor antennas. Significance of the localization of the minor antennas and their possible role(s) will be discussed.
