Intact membrane proteins are exposed to a complex and dynamic lipid environment regulated by nonbilayer lipids, which can have an impact on protein functions through lipid-protein interactions. In plant photosynthetic thylakoid membranes, the most abundant lipid is the non-bilayer lipid monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG), but no studies have yet clearly elucidated the effect of MGDG on the function of energy-converting membrane protein complexes.

Exploring the physical properties of thylakoid membrane lipids has implications for photosynthesis research in several areas, such as lipoprotein interactions in the context of the structure and function of major photosynthetic membrane complexes, lipid phase behavior and its relevance to membrane phase separation, and membrane fluidity in terms of thermal adaptation and factors limiting electron transport rates. Therefore, a deeper understanding of lipid polymorphism in chloroplast thylakoid membranes and the conformational dynamics of lipids is of great importance for the study of photosynthesis. Learn more：kinetic analysis services of lipids in photosynthetic thylakoid membranes