title: Phylogenetic relationships among bacteriorhodopsins.
abstract: Retinal-containing proteins of archaea comprise a single family of homologous proteins that fall into three clusters correlating with function: the proton-transporting bacteriorhodopsins, the chloride-transporting halorhodopsins and the colour-discriminating sensory rhodopsins. Statistical and phylogenetic analyses, a multiple alignment and average hydropathy and similarity plots of these protein sequences are presented. Available evidence suggests that sequence conservation generally correlates with functional significance. Little or no evidence substantiates the proposal that these proteins arose by a tandem intragenic duplication event. The bacterial rhodopsin family appears to have evolved from a common ancestor without recognizable intragenic rearrangements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0116.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuan
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Saier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D025602:Halorhodopsins; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D025602:Halorhodopsins; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins