Description

Cells of the symbiotic prochlorophyte Prochloron didemni were separated from its ascidian partner, thylakoids isolated, treated to liberate chlorophyll-containing complexes, and negatively stained preparations observed by transmission EM. The image shows an averaged top view of a chlorophyll-photsystem II super complex. The overview shown in CIL 39146 illustrates the range of particle types in the preparation.

Technical Details

Fractions isolated from thylakoids were negatively stained with 2% uranyl acetate and observed with a Philips CM100 transmission EM at a magnification of 51,500x, images recorded on film, and digitized using a Leafscan densitometer yielding a pixel size after binning of 0.388 nm. Sub-populations were identified and class averages obtained using IMAGIC-5. See Fig 3b in TS Bibby, J Nield, M Chen, AWD Larkum, J Barber 2003 Structure of a photosystem II supercomplex isolated from Prochloron didemni retaining its chlorophyll a/b light-harvesting system. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:9050-9054.