Lipid Induced Transformation of the Monomeric to Oligomeric Form of the LHCP

It is now clearly established that all the chlorophyll and carotenoids in the thylakoids of higher plants are non-covalently bound to specific proteins associated in supramolecular complexes. The improvment of solubilization and analysis technics of thylakoid membranes allowed to extract these supramolecular complexes closer to the “in vivo” state. Oligomeric forms of P 700-chl a protein and light harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein were isolated (Remy et al., 1977, 1978). Recently, the presence of lipids in these chlorophyll-proteins was reported by different groups (Selstam, 1980; Tremolieres et al., 1981; Ryrie et al., 1980). Rawyler et al., 1980, Tremolieres et al., 1981 have shown that LHCP was rich in phospha-tidylcerol (PG) containing a high amount of 3-trans-hexadecenoic acid, an acyl lipid which has been implicated as the LHCP in the formation of the grana stacks (Dubacq, Tremolieres, 1983). Moreover, we reported recently that this PG enrichment was more significant in an oligomeric form of LHCP and that it was possible to convert partially monomeric LHCP into oligomeric LHCP using PG liposomes (Remy et al., 1982).