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PsbW, a 6.1‐kDa low‐molecular‐weight protein, is exclusive to photosynthetic eukaryotes, and associates with the photosystem II (PSII) protein complex. In vivo and in vitro comparison of Arabidopsis thaliana wild‐type plants with T‐DNA insertion knock‐out mutants completely lacking the PsbW protein, or with antisense inhibition plants exhibiting decreased levels of PsbW, demonstrated that the loss of PsbW destabilizes the supramolecular organization of PSII. No PSII‐LHCII supercomplexes could be detected or isolated in the absence of the PsbW protein. These changes in macro‐organization were accompanied by a minor decrease in the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter F_V/F_M, a strongly decreased PSII core protein phosphorylation and a modification of the redox state of the plastoquinone (PQ) pool in dark‐adapted leaves. In addition, the absence of PsbW protein led to faster redox changes in the PQ …