Lineage-specific features of the photosystem I–light-harvesting complex I supercomplex in the extremophilic red alga Cyanidium caldarium nies-551

September 24, 2025

PSI–LHCI from the acidophilic and thermophilic primitive red alga provides clues to the evolution of photosynthetic systems

Researchers from Shizuoka University and the RIKEN CSRS collaboratively purified the photosystem I–light-harvesting complex I (PSI–LHCI) supercomplex from the thermoacidophilic red alga Cyanidium caldarium NIES-551. They analyzed its protein composition, pigment profile, and spectroscopic properties, including absorption and fluorescence characteristics.

Their findings revealed that the PSI–LHCI supercomplex in Cyanidiales exhibits evolutionarily distinct features compared to those in other red algal lineages. This study provides important insights into the diversity of photosynthetic apparatuses involved in adaptation to extreme environments.

 

Original article

Photosynthesis Research　doi: 10.1007/s11120-025-01169-y

I. Y. Takahashi, T. Suzuki, S. Hirooka, N. Dohmae, S. Miyagishima, R. Nagao ,

"Comparative analysis of biochemical and sequence features of PSI-LHCI supercomplexes from Cyanidium caldarium NIES-551 and Cyanidiococcus yangmingshanensis NIES-2137".

Contact

Naoshi Dohmae
Unit Leader
Biomolecular Characterization Unit