Other aspects AZD1390 of redox control involve changes in the redox state of specific thioredoxins, the generation of reactive oxygen species, the flux of electrons through the cytochrome b 6 f complex, the extent of the ΔpH across the thylakoid membranes, and numerous aggregate Cilengitide concentration metabolic signals that could include levels of ATP, NADPH, CO2, and various Calvin–Benson–Bassham Cycle metabolites. Hence, even though still not well understood, linear and cyclic electron flow appear to be precisely controlled and tightly integrated with the capacity of the cells to fix CO2. Furthermore, light-induced signals must be transduced to the chloroplast and nucleus/cytoplasm, influencing both transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes in

the different subcellular compartments. Degradation of plastid components must also be tightly coordinated with de novo synthesis, the recycling of pigment molecules and the integration of polypeptides into photosynthetic complexes. Our understanding of most aspects of these processes is still at a relatively preliminary stage (Walters 2005). Indeed, there are still even structural proteins associated with the photosynthetic apparatus, which have only recently been identified. For example, examination of the crystal structure of PSI has revealed the presence of a previously unidentified protein,

designated PsaR, which appears to be loosely associated with the PSI core and is positioned between the PsaK and Lhca3 subunits; this protein Vactosertib chemical structure is potentially involved in the stabilization

of PSI light-harvesting complexes (Amunts et al. 2010). Photosynthesis in the era of genomics The explosion of genomic information over the last decade is being used to identify the full complement of genes present on the nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial genomes, elucidate relationships between gene content/expression patterns and ecological differences among related organisms, determine ways in which gene content has been arranged and modified by evolutionary processes, define the extent to which genes of are transferred between organisms and the features of the transfer process, and uncover mechanisms critical for modulating gene expression in response to developmental processes and fluctuating environmental conditions. With the massive influx of genomic information and comparative genomic tools, it is becoming clear just how much is not understood about many biological processes, including those that are integral to global productivity, biogeochemical cycling, the structure and composition of ecological habitats, and the ways in which biological processes impact the geochemistry and geophysics of the Earth. Many researchers are beginning to mine fully characterized algal and cyanobacterial genomic information (Rocap et al. 2003; Armbrust et al. 2004; Matsuzaki et al. 2004; Barbier et al. 2005; Misumi et al. 2005; Mulkidjanian et al. 2006; Palenik et al. 2007; Bowler et al. 2008; Vardi et al. 2008; Maheswari et al.