Structural, Mechanistic and Genomic Insights into OCP-Mediated Photoprotection

Until relatively recently, photoprotective mechanisms in cyanobacteria were poorly understood. Yet, they play a crucial role in the ecophysiology of cyanobacteria, which inhabit a range of environments, some of them are extreme where stresses such as high salinity, drought and temperature exacerbate the threat of photodamage. This review focuses on the OCP-mediated photoprotective mechanism, which is widespread among cyanobacteria. Mechanistic and structural studies combined with genomic sequence data are painting an increasingly detailed picture of OCP-mediated photoprotection.