title: Photocycle of phoborhodopsin from haloalkaliphilic bacterium (Natronobacterium pharaonis) studied by low-temperature spectrophotometry.
abstract: Phoborhodopsin (pR) is the fourth retinal pigment of Halobacterium halobium and works as a photoreceptor for the negative phototactic response. A similar pigment was previously found in haloalkaliphilic bacterium (Natronbacterium pharaonis) and also works as the receptor of the negative phototactic response; this pigment is called pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR). In this paper, the photocycle of ppR was investigated by means of low-temperature spectrophotometry. The absorption maximum of ppR is located at 498 nm, while that of pR is at 487 nm. The absorption spectra of the two have similar vibrational structures. Irradiation of ppR below -100 degrees C produced a K-like intermediate (ppRK) which was a composite of two components. The original ppR and ppRK were perfectly photoreversible. On warming, ppRK was directly converted to an M-like intermediate without formation of the L-like intermediate. The M-like intermediate was converted to the O-like intermediate at pH 7.2, but the O-like intermediate was not detected at pH 9.0. The O-like intermediate then reverted to the original pigment. On the basis of these findings, the photocycle and the primary photochemical process of ppR are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shichida
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomioka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
mesh_terms: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002338:Carotenoids; D003080:Cold Temperature; D006217:Halobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D025602:Halorhodopsins; D007700:Kinetics; D010777:Photochemistry; D025603:Sensory Rhodopsins; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D025602:Halorhodopsins; D025603:Sensory Rhodopsins; C061508:sensory rhodopsin II protein, archaeal; D002338:Carotenoids; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins