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

微生物视紫红质是在各种微生物中发现的光敏蛋白质。它们对于这些微生物的生物能量学和光传感功能非常重要。在过去的十年中，人们越来越清楚，微生物视紫红质是无所不在的，可能有更多的功能比以前认为的。特别地，质子泵激视紫红质可以占太阳光的生物储存能量的很大一部分。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（光开关离子泵和通道）用于光遗传学，其中动物的神经细胞可以通过光来控制。在这个计划中，我们希望研究新型的微生物视紫红质，结合分子生物学和生物化学技术与先进的生物物理技术，如FTIR和NMR。首先，我们想了解所谓的酶视紫红质，其中视紫红质触发对细胞生物化学重要的酶功能。第二，我们想研究生理上重要的离子，如钠离子的新型细菌泵。这些研究应该有助于更好地了解微生物生理学，进化和生态学，以及加深我们的膜蛋白生物化学，结构生物学和光生物学的知识。

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.