Identification of chloroplast thylakoid membrane polypeptides

Abstract

Thylakoid membranes of higher plants and green algae can be resolved by SDS-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis into nearly 30 major polypeptides and additional minor components with mol. wt <70 000 [ 1,2]. A detailed knowledge of the biological properties of these poIypeptides is essential in order to get a better insight into such important problems as the protein composition, the organization of proteins within the thylakoids, and the biogenesis of thylakoid membranes. Since the native conformations and biological properties of the components are destroyed in the presence of ionic detergents it has been attempted to identify their function by the following ways: