THE PURPLE BACTERIAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC UNIT

Now is a very exciting time for researchers in the area of the primary reactions of purple bacterial photosynthesis. Detailed structural inf ormation is now available for not only the reaction center (Lancaster et al. 1995, in: Blankenship RE et al. (eds) Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria, pp 503-526), but also LH2 from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila (McDermott et al. 1995, Nature 374: 517-521) and LH1 from Rhodospirill um rubrum (Karrasch et al. 1995, EMBO J 14: 631-638). These structures can now be integrated to produce models of the complete photosyntheti c unit (PSU) (Papiz et al., 1996, Trends Plant Sci, in press), which o pens the door to a much more detailed understanding of the energy tran sfer events occurring within the PSU.