The redox regulation mechanism responsible for efficient production of ATP under varying light conditions in photosynthetic organisms has now been unveiled by Tokyo Tech researchers. They investigated the enzyme responsible for this mechanism and uncovered how the amino acid sequences present in the enzyme regulate ATP production. Their findings provide valuable insights into the process of photosynthesis and the ability to adapt to changing metabolic conditions.
ATP, the compound essential for the functioning of photosynthetic organisms such as plants and algae, is produced by an enzyme called "chloroplast ATP synthase" (CFoCF1). To control ATP production under varying light conditions, the enzyme uses a redox regulatory mechanism that modifies the ATP synthesis activity in response to changes in the redox state of cysteine (Cys) residues, which exist as dithiols under reducing (light) conditions, but forms a disulfide bond under oxidizing (dark) conditions. However, this mechanism has not been fully understood so far.
Now, in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers from Japan, led by Prof. Toru Hisabori from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), has uncovered the role of the amino acid sequences present in CFoCF1, revealing how the enzyme regulates ATP production in photosynthetic organisms.