The Evolutionarily Conserved Protein PHOTOSYNTHESIS AFFECTED MUTANT71 Is Required for Efficient Manganese Uptake at the Thylakoid Membrane in Arabidopsis

Author Profile

Anja Schneider

Highlighted Paper: Schneider et al et al. (2016). The Evolutionarily Conserved Protein PHOTOSYNTHESIS AFFECTED MUTANT71 Is Required for Efficient Manganese Uptake at the Thylakoid Membrane in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. Advance Publication March 28, 2016; doi:10.1105/tpc.15.00812.

Current Position: Scientist, Department of Plant Molecular Biology/Botany, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit ät, Munich, Germany.

Education: PhD: Department of Plant Breeding and Yield Physiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research Cologne & University of Cologne, Germany.

Non-scientific Interests: Skiing, swimming and being a mother.

When I was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cologne in Prof. Fl ügge's group, we studied transport processes across the chloroplast envelope membrane. Using the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, we analysed the in vivo function of envelope translocators, which exchange various phosphorylated C3, C5 and C6 compounds for inorganic phosphate. We extended our studies by applying bioinformatics, and it became clear that there are many proteins with unknown function in the chloroplast membrane systems, either at the envelope or at the thylakoid membrane, which could act as transporters. Next, we searched for promising candidates by analysing the respective Arabidopsis mutant lines and eventually identified pam71 (photosynthesis affected mutant71). Soon, it became clear that pam71 has a specific photosystem II defect and, in Prof. Leister's group, we performed a thorough mutant analysis. We narrowed down the defect in pam71 to the oxygen-evolving complex, which harbours the inorganic manganese-calcium cluster, and the question arose whether PAM71 is involved in calcium or manganese delivery. Finally, we succeeded and our data support a role for PAM71 as a Mn2+ transporter at the thylakoid membrane. The world of thylakoid membrane transporters is far from being resolved. My future research will focus on these interesting and fascinating proteins.