title: Interrelations of M-intermediates in bacteriorhodopsin photocycle.
abstract: The photocycles of the wild-type bacteriorhodopsin and the D96N mutant were investigated by the flash-photolysis technique. The M-intermediate formation (400 nm) and the L-intermediate decay (520 nm) were found to be well described by a sum of two exponents (time constants, tau 1 = 65 and tau 2 = 250 microseconds) for the wild-type bR and three exponents (tau 1 = 55 microseconds, tau 2 = 220 microseconds and tau 3 = 1 ms) for the D96N mutant of bR. A component with tau = 1 ms was found to be present in the photocycle of the wild-type bacteriorhodopsin as a lag-phase in the relaxation of photoresponses at 400 and 520 nm. In the presence of Lu3+ ions or 80% glycerol this component was clearly seen as an additional phase of M-formation. The azide effect on the D96N mutant of bR suggests that the 1-ms component is associated with an irreversible conformational change switching the Schiff base from the outward to the inward proton channel. The maximum of the difference spectrum of the 1-ms component of D96N bR is located at 404 nm as compared to 412 nm for the first two components. We suggest that this effect is a result of the alteration of the inward proton channel due to the Asp96-->Asn substitution. Proton release measured with pyranine in the absence of pH buffers was identical for the wild-type bR and D96N mutant and matched the M-->M' conformational transition. A model for M rise in the bR photocycle is proposed.
authors.affiliation: A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Russia.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Drachev
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kaulen
authors.lastname: Komrakov AYu
mesh_terms: D001386:Azides / Q000494:pharmacology; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019617:Halobacterium salinarum / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D010782:Photolysis; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D001386:Azides; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins