PscA
PscA is the core reaction-center protein found in a subset of photosynthetic bacteria, particularly green sulfur bacteria (Chlorobi) and green non-sulfur bacteria (Chloroflexi). The protein is the PscA subunit of a type I reaction center and is homologous to the PsaA and PsaB subunits of Photosystem I in cyanobacteria and plants. PscA forms the central scaffold for light-induced charge separation by binding and coordinating a set of pigments, including bacteriochlorophylls and associated cofactors, and it interacts with peripheral antenna proteins to funnel excitation energy to the primary electron donor.
Structurally, PscA is an integral membrane protein with multiple transmembrane helices (the number is typically in
Genetic and evolutionary context shows that pscA genes are distributed across several lineages of phototrophic bacteria
Research on PscA contributes to understanding the diversity of photosynthetic reaction centers and the evolution of