The evolution and evolvability of photosystem II
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Photosystem II is the water-oxidizing and O2 -evolving enzyme of photosynthesis. How and when this remarkable enzyme arose are fundamental questions in the history of life that have remained difficult to answer. Here, recent advances in our understanding of the origin and
evolution of photosystem II are reviewed and discussed in detail. The evolution of photosystem II indicates that water oxidation originated early in the history of life, long before the diversification of cyanobacteria and other major groups of prokaryotes, challenging and transforming current paradigms on the evolution of photosynthesis. We show that photosystem II has remained virtually unchanged for well over three billion years, and yet the nonstop duplication process of the D1 subunit of photosystem II, which controls photochemistry and catalysis, has enabled the enzyme to become adaptable to variable environmental conditions, and even to innovate enzymatic functions beyond water oxidation. It is suggested that this evolvability can be exploited to develop novel light-powered enzymes with the capacity to carry out complex multi-step oxidative transformations for sustainable biocatalysis.
evolution of photosystem II are reviewed and discussed in detail. The evolution of photosystem II indicates that water oxidation originated early in the history of life, long before the diversification of cyanobacteria and other major groups of prokaryotes, challenging and transforming current paradigms on the evolution of photosynthesis. We show that photosystem II has remained virtually unchanged for well over three billion years, and yet the nonstop duplication process of the D1 subunit of photosystem II, which controls photochemistry and catalysis, has enabled the enzyme to become adaptable to variable environmental conditions, and even to innovate enzymatic functions beyond water oxidation. It is suggested that this evolvability can be exploited to develop novel light-powered enzymes with the capacity to carry out complex multi-step oxidative transformations for sustainable biocatalysis.
Date Issued
2023-05
Date Acceptance
2022-11-16
Citation
Annual Review of Plant Biology, 2023, 74 (1)
ISSN
1040-2519
Publisher
Annual Reviews
Journal / Book Title
Annual Review of Plant Biology
Volume
74
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
Posted with permission from the Annual Review of Plant
Biology, Volume 74; copyright 2023 the author(s), https://www.annualreviews.org
Biology, Volume 74; copyright 2023 the author(s), https://www.annualreviews.org
Identifier
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-arplant-070522-062509
Publication Status
Published online
Date Publish Online
2023-03-08