Chromatophore (bacteria)

Last updated August 08, 2025

Structural model of the chromatophore showing ATP synthase (orange), light-harvesting complexes (green and red), cytochrome bc1 (magenta), and photosynthetic reaction center (blue). Half of the model is transparent to show the bacteriochlorophylls represented as rings. Overall-energy-conversion-efficiency-of-a-photosynthetic-vesicle-elife-09541-media1.gif — Structural model of the chromatophore showing ATP synthase (orange), light-harvesting complexes (green and red), cytochrome bc₁ (magenta), and photosynthetic reaction center (blue). Half of the model is transparent to show the bacteriochlorophylls represented as rings.

A chromatophore is a pigmented (colored), membrane-associated vesicle used to perform photosynthesis in some photosynthetic bacteria.

Chromatophores contain bacteriochlorophyll pigments and carotenoids.^[2] In purple bacteria, such as Rhodospirillum rubrum , the light-harvesting proteins are intrinsic to the chromatophore membranes. However, in green sulfur bacteria, they are arranged in specialised antenna complexes called chlorosomes.^[3]

References

↑ Sener, Melih; Strumpfer, Johan; Singharoy, Abhishek; Hunter, C Neil; Schulten, Klaus (2016-08-26). Hummer, Gerhard (ed.). "Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle". eLife. 5 e09541. doi: 10.7554/eLife.09541 . ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 5001839 . PMID 27564854.
↑ Salton, MR (1987). "Bacterial membrane proteins". Microbiological Sciences. 4 (4): 100–5. PMID 3153178.
↑ Frigaard, NU; Bryant, DA (2004). "Seeing green bacteria in a new light: genomics-enabled studies of the photosynthetic apparatus in green sulfur bacteria and filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria". Archives of Microbiology. 182 (4): 265–76. Bibcode:2004ArMic.182..265F. doi:10.1007/s00203-004-0718-9. PMID 15340781.

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[1] Sener, Melih; Strumpfer, Johan; Singharoy, Abhishek; Hunter, C Neil; Schulten, Klaus (2016-08-26). Hummer, Gerhard (ed.). "Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle". eLife. 5 e09541. doi: 10.7554/eLife.09541 . ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 5001839 . PMID 27564854.

[membrane-2] Salton, MR (1987). "Bacterial membrane proteins". Microbiological Sciences. 4 (4): 100–5. PMID 3153178.

[sulphur-3] Frigaard, NU; Bryant, DA (2004). "Seeing green bacteria in a new light: genomics-enabled studies of the photosynthetic apparatus in green sulfur bacteria and filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria". Archives of Microbiology. 182 (4): 265–76. Bibcode:2004ArMic.182..265F. doi:10.1007/s00203-004-0718-9. PMID 15340781.

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