Neutrons reveal the dynamics of leaf thylakoids in living plants

Abstract

The study is the first known exploration of photosynthetic membranes dynamics in living plants by high resolution inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy. We characterized in vivo thylakoid membranes mobility in Lemna minor plants. Excess dynamics at length scales corresponding to both the membrane stacks and membrane thickness were observed and described by classical biophysical models to assess the undulation modes, the rigidity of the membranes, and how the structural variations affect the observed dynamics. The stacks of thylakoids in Lemna minor are rigid systems with an apparent bending coefficient in the upper range observed for surfactant membranes, while the single thylakoid leaflet is very flexible situated well within the bi-continuous surfactant phases dynamics. These observations further our understanding of the relationship between photosynthesis and the cellular architecture, while simultaneously opening more questions and the need for further investigations at extended q-and-time regimes.