Davis, Dan - University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

个人简介

Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1975

研究领域

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photosynthetic electron transfer The process of photosynthesis provides the ultimate source of energy supporting life on this planet through the conversion of solar energy into biologically useful forms of chemical energy. The photochemical apparatus associated with the inner chloroplast membrane uses the energy of light to drive an up-hill electron transport from water to NADP. This process involves the cooperation of two photosystems, Photosystem I being more closely associated with NADP reduction and Photosystem II with extraction of electrons from water. ATP production is coupled to the electron transport chain linking the two photosystems. The ATP and NADPH produced by the photosynthetic electron transport chain are used in the reductive fixation of C02 into carbohydrate. Most of the components of the photochemical apparatus of the inner chloroplast membrane are either proteins or are associated with proteins. The goal of our research program is to better characterize structure-function relationships involve ng proteins associated with photosynthetic processes. Emphasis is on determination as to how these proteins interact with other proteins which serve as reaction partners and on how electron transfer occurs within such complexes between proteins. Our approach utilizes a variety of experimental techniques including chemical modification and cross-linking, molecular biology, and rapid photoinduced kinetics using ruthenium-labeled proteins. Proteins currently under investigation are those functioning on the oxidizing and reducing side of Photosystem I including plastocyanin, cytochrome f, cytochrome c6, ferredoxin, ferredoxin:NADP reductase, and flavodoxin. Other areas of interest include chlorophyll containing proteins such as the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein and the Photosystem I reaction center protein, enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation, and development of improved preparative procedures for proteins from photosynthetic systems.