Thylakoids reorganization enables driving photosynthesis under far-red light in the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana.

ABSTRACT: Oxygenic photosynthesis is driven by visible light in most photosynthetic organisms, with exceptions in a few cyanobacteria and microalgae species, which can extend the light absorption to far-red (FR) wavelengths, by synthesizing new pigments or shifting the antennae absorption range beyond 700 nm. In this work, we describe a novel mechanism of acclimation in the marine microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana, which resulted capable of growth relying solely on FR light. Unexpectedly, the response did not involve the synthesis of red-shifted absorption forms but a peculiar reorganization of chloroplasts. The abundance of photosynthetic complexes changed, with an increased accumulation of all pigment-binding proteins and photosystem II. Chloroplasts became bigger and thylakoid membranes increase

SUBMITTER: Liistro E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12825400 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature