Optimization of thylakoid solubilization for PSII-LHCII supercomplex isolation from shade-adapted Fittonia albivenis.

A combination of α-DDM and digitonin enables effective isolation of PSII-LHCII supercomplexes from shade-adapted plants, reducing PSI contamination and improving antenna retention.

• Why it matters: Understanding the structure and function of photosynthetic supercomplexes in shade-adapted species is limited by inefficient isolation methods that fail to preserve native associations, hindering research progress.
• What they did: The study systematically evaluated detergent strategies and optimized solubilization conditions, applying α-DDM and digitonin with specific sucrose gradient parameters to isolate supercomplexes from F. albivenis, E. aureum, and H. difformis.
• The result: This approach successfully isolates intact PSII-LHCII supercomplexes with enhanced antenna retention and minimal PSI contamination, offering a practical, species-specific method for studying photosynthetic complexes in shade-adapted plants.