"Revealing the Hidden Machinery of Photosynthesis: Breakthrough 3D Visualization"

Researchers from Hannover and Göttingen have created a high-resolution 3D visualization of the chloroplasts’ copying mechanism, the RNA polymerase PEP, shedding light on the operation and evolutionary history of this vital cellular apparatus crucial for photosynthesis. The 19-subunit PEP complex was visualized at a resolution of 3.5 angstroms, revealing chloroplast-specific features and the unique structure of associated proteins. The study provides insights into the fundamental mechanisms of the photosynthesis machinery’s biogenesis and may have implications for biotechnological applications in the future.