PURPLE MEMBRANE PROTON PUMP

细菌视紫红质是已知最简单的离子泵，与视紫红质有关 七跨膜螺旋受体家族。 我们的研究旨在 表征质子泵机制中的特定中间步骤， 探索新出现的结构相似性， 细菌视紫红质和某些神经递质和激素受体。 1. 质子泵机制; a. 从哪种氨基酸被转运 释放到细胞外介质中的质子：B. 的哪些部分 细菌视紫红质在以下步骤中经历构象变化， 重置泵吗 2. 与七跨膜螺旋受体的关系; 进入细菌视蛋白的结合口袋， 细菌视紫红质？ 少数民族学生将积极参与研究。 一 本科生将通过FTIR研究蛋白质的构象变化 光谱学和第二个本科生将测量视网膜的比率， 与细菌视蛋白结合。 一个研究生将研究化学 细菌视紫红质突变体的修饰反应。 所有学生都 预计将在区域或国家会议上介绍其成果。

Bacteriorhodopsin, the simplest known ion pump, is related tot he rhodopsin family of seven-transmembrane-helix receptors. Our research is designed to characterize specific intermediate steps in the proton pump mechanism and to explore the newly emerging structural analogies between bacteriorhodopsin and certain neurotransmitter and hormone receptors. 1. Proton pump mechanism; a. From which amino acid is the transported proton released into the extracellular medium: b. What parts of bacteriorhodopsin undergo conformational changes during the steps that reset the pump? 2. Relationship to seven-transmembrane-helix receptors; How does retinal gain access to its binding pocket in bacterio-opsin to form bacteriorhodopsin? Minority students will activity participate int he research. One undergraduate will study protein conformational changes by FTIR spectroscopy and a second undergraduate will measure the rate of retinal binding to bacterio-opsin. A graduate student will investigate chemical modification reactions of bateriorhodopsin mutants. All students are expected to present their results at regional or national meetings.