The structure of PsbQ, one of the three main extrinsic proteins associated with the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of higher plants and green algae, is examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy and by computational structural prediction methods. This protein, together with two other lumenally bound extrinsic proteins, PsbO and PsbP, is essential for the stability and full activity of the OEC in plants. The FTIR spectra obtained in both H(2)O and D(2)O suggest a mainly alpha-helix structure on the basis of the relative areas of the constituents of the amide I and I' bands. The FTIR quantitative analyses indicate that PsbQ contains about 53% alpha-helix, 7% turns, 14% nonordered structure, and 24% beta-strand plus other beta-type extended structures. CD analyses indicate that PsbQ is a mainly alpha-helix protein (about 64%), presenting a small percentage assigned to beta-strand ( approximately 7%) and a larger amount assigned to turns and nonregular structures ( approximately 29%). Independent of the spectroscopic analyses, computational methods for protein structure prediction of PsbQ were utilized. First, a multiple alignment of 12 sequences of PsbQ was obtained after an extensive search in the public databases for protein and EST sequences. Based on this alignment, computational prediction of the secondary structure and the solvent accessibility suggest the presence of two different structural domains in PsbQ: a major C-terminal domain containing four alpha-helices and a minor N-terminal domain with a poorly defined secondary structure enriched in proline and glycine residues. The search for PsbQ analogues by fold recognition methods, not based on the secondary structure, also indicates that PsbQ is a four alpha-helix protein, most probably folding as an up-down bundle. The results obtained by both the spectroscopic and computational methods are in agreement, all indicating that PsbQ is mainly an alpha protein, and show the value of using both methodologies for protein structure investigation.

Since the 1980s, a great deal of research has been carried out regarding endogenous economic growth. The focus has been specially put on the triangle of relationships among growth, territories, and innovation, and concepts as means of technological innovation have been extensively studied. In this context, this chapter does not pursue to enhance theoretical knowledge on this topic, but, on the contrary, it intends to remark conclusions previously reached by contrasting them with the implementation of a specific innovation policy program. To achieve this objective, an analysis is made of the European Union programme to foster R&D called Horizon 2020 (H2020). Also, it shows the case of an H2020 Project from the 2015 call, applying an impact assessment analysis.