An intrinsically disordered photosystem II subunit, PsbO, provides a structural template and a sensor of the hydrogen-bonding network in photosynthetic water oxidation

Abstract

Background:PsbO is an intrinsically disordered subunit of photosystem II. Results:Temperature-sensitive PsbO dynamics are identified by reaction-induced Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the removal and reconstitution of PsbO. Conclusion:PsbO serves as an organizational template and undergoes flash-induced hydrogen-bonding changes, coupled with the catalytic cycle of water oxidation. Significance:PsbO samples a rough conformational landscape when bound to its target, the photosystem II reaction center. © 2013 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.