The PsbP family of proteins

The PsbP family of proteins consists of 11 evolutionarily related thylakoid lumenal components. These include the archetypal PsbP protein, which is an extrinsic subunit of eukaryotic photosystem II, three PsbP-like proteins (CyanoP of the prokaryotic cyanobacteria and green oxyphotobacteria, and the PPL1 and PPL2 proteins found in many eukaryotes), and seven PsbP-domain (PPD) proteins (PPD1-PPD7, most of which are found in the green plant lineage). All of these possess significant sequence and structural homologies while having very diverse functions. While the PsbP protein has been extensively studied and plays a functional role in the optimization of photosynthetic oxygen evolution at physiological calcium and chloride concentrations, the molecular functions of the other family members are poorly understood. Recent investigations have begun to illuminate the roles that these proteins play in membrane protein complex assembly/stability, hormone biosynthesis, and other metabolic processes. In this review we have examined this functional information within the context of recent advances examining the structure of these components.