A new photosystem II reaction center component (4.8 kDa protein) encoded by chloroplast genome.

The photosystem II reaction center complex, so-called D1-D2-cytochrome b-559 complex, isolated from higher plants contains a new component of about 4.8 kDa [(1988) Plant Cell Physiol. 29, 1233-1239]. The partial amino acid sequence of this component from spinach was determined after release of N-terminal blockage. The determined sequence matched an open reading frame (ORF36) of the chloroplast genome from tobacco and liverwort, which is located downstream from the psbK gene and forms an operon with psbK. The predicted product consists of 36 amino acid residues and has a single membrane-spanning segment. High homology between the tobacco and liverwort genes, and its presence in the reaction center complex suggest an important role for this component in the photosystem II complex. Since this gene corresponds to a part of the formerly designated psbI gene, we propose to revise the definition of psbI as the gene encoding the 4.8 kDa reaction center component.