This protein is a component of the reaction center of photosystem II. Its exact function is not yet known. One of the components of the core complex of photosystem II (PSII), required for its stability and/or assembly. PSII is a light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase that uses light energy to abstract electrons from H(2)O, generating O(2) and a proton gradient subsequently used for ATP formation. It consists of a core antenna complex that captures photons, and an electron transfer chain that converts photonic excitation into a charge separation. PSII is composed of 1 copy each of membrane proteins PsbA, PsbB, PsbC, PsbD, PsbE, PsbF, PsbH, PsbI, PsbJ, PsbK, PsbL, PsbM, PsbT, PsbX, PsbY, PsbZ, Ycf12, at least 3 peripheral proteins of the oxygen-evolving complex and a large number of cofactors. It forms dimeric complexes. Belongs to the PsbI family.