What is a pigment protein?

What is a pigment protein?

Abstract. Photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes (PPCs) are a vital component of the light-harvesting machinery of all plants and photosynthesizing bacteria, enabling efficient transport of the energy of absorbed light towards the reaction centre, where chemical energy storage is initiated.

What is food plant pigment?

Carotenoids are plant pigments that are found primarily in a variety of fruits and vegetables. The most commonly ingested carotenoids in human populations include beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin.

What is called pigment?

A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compounds. Pigments of prehistoric and historic value include ochre, charcoal, and lapis lazuli.

Where are pigment proteins found?

Phycobiliproteins are a family of light-harvesting pigment protein complexes found in the cytoplasm or in the stroma of the chloroplasts of Rhodophyceae and Cyanophyceae (Apt et al., 1995, Glazer, 1988, Glazer, 1989, MacColl, 1998, Zhang and Chen, 1999).

What is pigment system?

Pigment systems are a group of photosynthetic pigments found in the chloroplast of a plant.

What is the function of pigment proteins?

The main function of the pigment-binding proteins is to harvest solar energy and deliver it, in the form of excitation energy, ultimately to P680 although individual pigment-proteins may be engaged in other photosynthesis-related processes as well.

What is carotene pigment?

Carotenes are photosynthetic pigments important for photosynthesis. Carotenes contain no oxygen atoms. They absorb ultraviolet, violet, and blue light and scatter orange or red light, and (in low concentrations) yellow light. They also (in lower concentrations) impart the yellow coloration to milk-fat and butter.

What is natural pigment?

Natural pigments are colored substances that are derived from natural sources, such as minerals or from plants and insects. The colorants may be ground, washed and sifted, but otherwise are not chemically modified.

Are pigments proteins?

Generally, pigments are not proteins, although they may exist in a protein complex in photosynthetic microorganisms, as you have pointed out in case of phycobiliprotein and phycocyanin. The phycocyanin pigment is covalently bound to the apoprotein, while chlorophyll and carotenoids are not.

What do pigment proteins do?

Pigment – protein complexes serve as sensors, light-driven ion pumps, as well as light harvesting elements in many living cells. Their function, based on the interaction of pigment electrons with the sun light, is grounded in quantum physics.

Is a pigment a protein?

The cyanobacterial isolates contain two accessory pigments: phycoerythrin (PE) and phycocyanin (PC) respectively.