Retinal-binding proteins: new bioenergetic and photosensory mechanisms

光活性蛋白对微生物、植物和动物的许多过程至关重要。这些功能包括能量转换和储存、视觉和其他光感功能，如朝向光线的运动或生长、发育调节以及睡眠与白天时间的同步。光活性蛋白的一个家族在功能多样化方面尤其多才多艺。以维生素A为基础的蛋白质（视紫红质或视黄醛结合蛋白）存在于各种生物体中，只要对其结构稍加修改，就能发挥多种功能。随着微生物紫红质新结构和新功能的不断发现，我们正试图找到两者之间的联系，并通过各种生物物理和生化方法研究它们的作用机制。因此，我们希望为重要的生物能量和光感觉过程建立结构先决条件，并揭示微生物视紫红质的其他功能。了解阳光如何调节微生物（细菌、真菌和藻类）群落在进化和生态学上都很重要。

Photoactive proteins are crucial for many processes occuring in microbes, plants, and animals. These include energy conversion and storage, vision and other photosensory functions such as movement or growth towards light, regulation of development, and synchronization of sleep with time of the day.   One of the families of photoactive proteins is especially versatile in terms of functional diversification. Vitamin A based proteins (rhodopsins or retinal-binding proteins) are found in various groups of living organisms and can perform multiple functions upon a slight modification of their structure. As new structures and functions of microbial rhodopsins are being discovered, we are trying to find the link between the two, studying mechanisms of their functioning by various biophysical and biochemical methods.   As a result, we are hoping to establish structural prerequisites for important bioenergetic and photosensory processess as well as to reveal additional functions of microbial rhodopsins. Understanding how the sunlight can regulate microbial (bacterial, fungal, and algal) communities is important both evolutionary and ecologically.