title: Thr90 is a key residue of the bacteriorhodopsin proton pumping mechanism.
abstract: Mutation of Thr90 to Ala has a profound effect on bacteriorhodopsin properties. T90A shows about 20% of the proton pumping efficiency of wild type, once reconstituted into liposomes. Mutation of Thr90 influences greatly the Schiff base/Asp85 environment, as demonstrated by altered lambda(max) of 555 nm and pK(a) of Asp85 (about 1.3 pH units higher than wild type). Hydroxylamine accessibility is increased in both dark and light and differential scanning calorimetry and visible spectrophotometry show decreased thermal stability. These results suggest that Thr90 has an important structural role in both the unphotolysed bacteriorhodopsin and in the proton pumping mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Biofísica, Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perálvarez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barnadas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabés
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Querol
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padrós
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D003624:Darkness; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019811:Hydroxylamine / Q000737:chemistry; D008027:Light; D008081:Liposomes; D009154:Mutation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017494:Proton Pumps / Q000378:metabolism*; D012545:Schiff Bases; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013696:Temperature; D013912:Threonine / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D017494:Proton Pumps; D012545:Schiff Bases; D019811:Hydroxylamine; D013912:Threonine; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins