title: [Photosensing by membrane-embedded receptors and its application for the life scientists].
abstract: Light is one of the most important energy sources and signals providing critical information to biological systems. The photoreceptor rhodopsin, which possesses retinal chromophore (vitamin A aldehyde) surrounded by seven transmembrane alpha-helices, is widely dispersed in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes. Although rhodopsin molecules work as distinctly different photoreceptors, they can be divided according to their two basic functions such as light-energy conversion and light-signal transduction. Thus rhodopsin molecules have great potential for controlling cellular activity by light. Indeed, a light-energy converter channel rhodopsin is used to control neural activity. From 2001, we have been working on various microbial sensory rhodopsins functioning as light-signal converters. In this review, we will introduce rhodopsin molecules from microbes, and will describe artificial and light-dependent protein expression system in Escherichia coli using Anabeana sensory rhodopsin (ASR). The newly developed tools would be widely useful for life scientists.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. z47867a@cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homma
mesh_terms: D001690:Biological Science Disciplines; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004926:Escherichia coli; D008027:Light; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020283:Photoreceptors, Microbial / Q000502:physiology*; D012172:Retinaldehyde; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020283:Photoreceptors, Microbial; D012243:Rhodopsin; D012172:Retinaldehyde