Photosystem II-based biosensors for the detection of pollutants

Photosystem II (PSII) is the supramolecular pigment-protein complex in the chloroplast, which catalyses the light-induced transfer of electrons from w ater to plastoquinone (PQ) in a process that evolves oxygen. The PSII compl ex is also known to bind some groups of (photosynthetic) herbicides, heavy metals and other chemical substances that affect its activity. The objectiv e of this study is to provide an overview of the systems available for the bioassay of pollutants using biosensors that are based on the photochemical activity of PSII Some applications of the PSII-based biosensors including herbicide, heavy metal monitoring and the detection of radiation in space e xperiments are reported. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved .