• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2007

We report the electro-optical properties of the sensory rhodopsin II using a near-field scanning microwave microscope(NSMM). Rhodopsin was known as a photoreceptor pigment with a retinal as a chromophore via a protonated Schiff base and consists of seven ${\alpha}-helical$ transmembrane segments. The sensory rhodopsin II, expressing E. coli UT5600 with endogenous retinal biosynthesis system and purified with $Ni^{-2}-NTA$ affinity chromatography in the presence of 0.02 % DM (Dodecyl Maltoside) from Natronomonas pharaonis. We measured the absorption spectra and the transients difference of sensory rhodopsin II from Natronomonas pharaonis using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer with Nd-Yag Laser (532 nm). The absorption spectra of NpSR II showed a typical rhodopsin spectrum with a left shoulder region and the photointermediates spectra of NpSR II-ground state (${\lambda}max=498\;nm$), NpSR II-M state (${\lambda}max=390\;nm$), and NpSR II-O state (${\lambda}max=550\;nm$) during the photocycle. The observed photocycle reaction was confirmed by measuring the microwave reflection coefficient $S_{11}$ at an operating frequency of f=3.93-3.95 GHz and compared with the results of a photocycle of NpSR II.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.102-105
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• 2002

Phoborhodopsin (pR or sensory rhodopsin II, sRII; the absorption maximum of ∼ 500 nm) is a retinoid protein and works as a photoreceptor of the negative phototaxis of Halobacterium salinarum. pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR or pharaonis sensory rhodopsin II, psRII) is a corresponding protein of Natronobacterium pharaonis. These sensory proteins form a complex with a cognate transducer protein in the membrane, and this complex transmits the light-signal to the cytoplasm to evoke avoidance reaction from blue-green light. Recently, the functional expression in Escherichia coli membrane of ppR was achieved, which can afford a large amount of the protein and enables mutant studies to clarify the role of various amino acid residues. A truncated transducer which can bind to ppR is also expressed in Escherichia. coli membrane. In this article, we will review properties of ppR mainly using observations of our laboratory; which contains photochemistry (photocycle), light-driven proton uptake, release and transport, F -helix titling during photocycle and association of the transducer.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.534-536
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• 2002

A halophilic archaeon, Halobacterium salinarum, exhibits phototactic behaviors, by which the organism is guided to red-orange light and evades shorter wavelengths of light. The phototaxis is mediated by two retinal proteins, sensory rhodopsin I and II (SRI and SRII), whose structures are analogous to the cognate protein bacteriorhodopsin, a light-driven proton pump. SRI mediates both attractant and repellent swimming behaviors to orange light and near- UV light, respectively. The two different signaling through the single photoreceptor have been ascribed to the presence of two active structures of SRI (S$\_$373/ and P$\_$520), which are produced upon orange light illumination of SRI and upon subsequent near-UV illumination of S$\_$373/, respectively. In the present study, we have measured the difference FTIR spectra of S$\_$373/ and P$\_$520/ states. In P$\_$520/, the isomeric structure of the chromophore is assignable to all-trans, and the Schiff base of the chromophore is protonated with concomitant deprotonation of Asp76, a combination which allows for the formation of a salt bridge between them. It was suggested that the way of interaction between the Schiff base and the counterion, which is different among SRI$\_$587/, S$\_$373/ and P$\_$520/ and which has been shown to drive the conformational changes in the cognate protein, bacteriorhodopsin, is the key to controlling conformational changes for the attractant and the repellent signaling by SRI.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.45-48
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• 2002

Microbial rhodopsins, photoactive 7-transmembrane helix proteins that use retinal as their chromophore, were observed initially in the Archaea and appeared to be restricted to extreme halophilic environments. Our understanding of the abundance and diversity of this family has been radically transformed by findings over the past three years. Genome sequencing of cultivated microbes as well as environmental genomics have unexpectedly revealed archaeal rhodopsin homologs in the other two domains of life as well, namely Bacteria and Eucarya. Organisms containing these homologs inhabit such diverse environments as salt flats, soil, freshwater, and surface and deep ocean waters, and they comprise a broad phylogenetic range of microbial life, including haloarchaea, proteobacteria, cyanobacteria, fungi, and algae. Analysis of the new microbial rhodopsins and their expression and structural and functional characterization reveal that they fulfill both ion transport and sensory functions in various organisms, and use a variety of signaling mechanisms. We have obtained the first crystallographic structure for a photosensory member of this family, the phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin II (SRII, also known as phoborhodopsin) that mediates blue-light avoidance by the haloarchaeon Natronobacterium pharaonis. The structure obtained from x-ray diffraction of 3D crystals prepared in a cubic lipid phase reveals key features responsible for its spectral tuning and its sensory function. The mechanism of SRII signaling fits a unified model for transport and signaling in this widespread family of phototransducers.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.305-307
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• 2002

Spectroscopic titration of D 193N and D 193E mutants of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR) were performed to evaluate the pK$_{a}$ of the Schiff base Asp 193 corresponds to Glu204 of bacteriorhodopsin (bR). The pK$_{a}$ of the Schiff base (SBH$^{+}$) of D193N was 10.1~10.0 (at XH$^{+}$) and 11.4~11.6 (at X) depending on the protonation state of a certain residue (designated by X) and independent on CI$^{[-10]}$ , while those of the wild-type and D193E were> 12. pK$_{a}$ of XH$^{+}$ were; 11.8~11.2 at the state of SB, 10.5 at SBH$^{+}$ state in the presence of CI$^{[-10]}$ , and 9.6 at SBH$^{+}$ without CI$^{[-10]}$ These imply the presence of a long-range interaction in the extracellular channel.r channel.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.314-316
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• 2002

In halobacterial membrane, pharaonis phoborhodopsin (or pharaonis sensory rhdopsin II, psRII) forms a complex with its transducer pHtrII. Flash-photolyis of D75N mutant did not yield M-intermediate but an O-like intermediate is observed. We examined the interaction between D75N of ppR and t-Htr (truncated pHtrII). These formed a complex in the presence of n-dodecyl-$\beta$-D-maltoside, and the association accelerated the decay of the 0 of D75N from 15 to 56 s$\^$-1/. From the decay time constants under varying ratios of D75N and t-Htr, n, the molar ratio of D75N/t-Htr in the complex, and K$\_$D/, the dissociation constant, were estimated. The value of n was unity and K$\_$D/ was estimated to 146 nM. This K$\_$D/ value can be considered as the association between the photo-intermediate and t-Htr, which is deduced by the method of estimation. Previously we (Photochem. Photobiol. 74, 489-494 (2001)) reported K$\_$D/ of 15 $\mu$M for the interaction between the wild-type and t-Htr by means of the change of M-decay rates. Therefore, this value should be the K$\_$D/ value for the interaction between M of the wild-type and t-Htr.