Mechanisms of triggering novel light-switchable functions in rhodopsins: enzymes and non-proton cation pumps

微生物视紫红质是存在于各种微生物中的光敏蛋白质。它们对这些微生物的生物能量学和光敏功能最为重要。在过去的十年里，很明显，微生物视紫红质无处不在，可能具有比人们以前认为的更多的功能。特别是，质子泵浦的视紫红质可能占太阳光生物存储能量的很大一部分。在另一个令人兴奋的最新发展中，几种类型的微生物视紫红质(光可切换离子泵和通道)被用于光遗传学，其中动物的神经细胞可以被光控制。在这项计划中，我们希望研究新型微生物视紫红质，将分子生物学和生物化学技术与先进的生物物理技术相结合，如FTIR和核磁共振。首先，我们想要了解所谓的酶视紫红质，在这种酶中，视紫红质触发对细胞生物化学重要的酶功能。第二，我们想要研究新式细菌泵生理上重要的离子，如钠。这些研究将有助于更好地了解微生物的生理、进化和生态学，并加深我们对膜蛋白生物化学、结构生物学和光生物学的了解。

Microbial rhodopsins are light-sensitive proteins found in various microscopic organisms. They are mostly important for bioenergetics and light-sensing functions of these microbes. In the last decade it became clear that microbial rhodopsins are omnipresent and may have more functions than was believed before. In particular, proton-pumping rhodopsins may account for a significant fraction of the biologically stored energy of the sunlight. In another exciting recent development, several types of microbial rhodopsins (light-switchable ion pumps and channels) are used for optogenetics, where nerve cells of animals can be controlled by light. In this proposal, we want to study new types of microbial rhodopsins, combining techniques of molecular biology and biochemistry with advanced biophysical techniques, such as FTIR and NMR. First, we want to understand so-called enzymerhodopsins, in which rhodopsins trigger enzymatic functions important for cellular biochemistry. Second, we want to study novel bacterial pumps of physiologically important ions, such as sodium. These studies should contribute to better understanding of microbial physiology, evolution, and ecology, as well as to deepen our knowledge of membrane protein biochemistry, structural biology, and photobiology.