1
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Hirschi S, Lemmin T, Ayoub N, Kalbermatter D, Pellegata D, Ucurum Z, Gertsch J, Fotiadis D. Structural insights into the mechanism and dynamics of proteorhodopsin biogenesis and retinal scavenging. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6950. [PMID: 39138159 PMCID: PMC11322631 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50960-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial ion-pumping rhodopsins (MRs) are extensively studied retinal-binding membrane proteins. However, their biogenesis, including oligomerisation and retinal incorporation, remains poorly understood. The bacterial green-light absorbing proton pump proteorhodopsin (GPR) has emerged as a model protein for MRs and is used here to address these open questions using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Specifically, conflicting studies regarding GPR stoichiometry reported pentamer and hexamer mixtures without providing possible assembly mechanisms. We report the pentameric and hexameric cryo-EM structures of a GPR mutant, uncovering the role of the unprocessed N-terminal signal peptide in the assembly of hexameric GPR. Furthermore, certain proteorhodopsin-expressing bacteria lack retinal biosynthesis pathways, suggesting that they scavenge the cofactor from their environment. We shed light on this hypothesis by solving the cryo-EM structure of retinal-free proteoopsin, which together with mass spectrometry and MD simulations suggests that decanoate serves as a temporary placeholder for retinal in the chromophore binding pocket. Further MD simulations elucidate possible pathways for the exchange of decanoate and retinal, offering a mechanism for retinal scavenging. Collectively, our findings provide insights into the biogenesis of MRs, including their oligomeric assembly, variations in protomer stoichiometry and retinal incorporation through a potential cofactor scavenging mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Hirschi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU, Oxford, UK.
| | - Thomas Lemmin
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Nooraldeen Ayoub
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - David Kalbermatter
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Pellegata
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zöhre Ucurum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Fotiadis
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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2
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Mao J, Jin X, Shi M, Heidenreich D, Brown LJ, Brown RCD, Lelli M, He X, Glaubitz C. Molecular mechanisms and evolutionary robustness of a color switch in proteorhodopsins. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj0384. [PMID: 38266078 PMCID: PMC10807816 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Proteorhodopsins are widely distributed photoreceptors from marine bacteria. Their discovery revealed a high degree of evolutionary adaptation to ambient light, resulting in blue- and green-absorbing variants that correlate with a conserved glutamine/leucine at position 105. On the basis of an integrated approach combining sensitivity-enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and linear-scaling quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods, this single residue is shown to be responsible for a variety of synergistically coupled structural and electrostatic changes along the retinal polyene chain, ionone ring, and within the binding pocket. They collectively explain the observed color shift. Furthermore, analysis of the differences in chemical shift between nuclei within the same residues in green and blue proteorhodopsins also reveals a correlation with the respective degree of conservation. Our data show that the highly conserved color change mainly affects other highly conserved residues, illustrating a high degree of robustness of the color phenotype to sequence variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiafei Mao
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max von Laue Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Xinsheng Jin
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Man Shi
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - David Heidenreich
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max von Laue Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lynda J. Brown
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Richard C. D. Brown
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Moreno Lelli
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff” and Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche MetalloProteine (CIRMMP), Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Italy
| | - Xiao He
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- New York University–East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max von Laue Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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3
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Petrovskaya LE, Siletsky SA, Mamedov MD, Lukashev EP, Balashov SP, Dolgikh DA, Kirpichnikov MP. Features of the Mechanism of Proton Transport in ESR, Retinal Protein from Exiguobacterium sibiricum. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1544-1554. [PMID: 38105023 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923100103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Retinal-containing light-sensitive proteins - rhodopsins - are found in many microorganisms. Interest in them is largely explained by their role in light energy storage and photoregulation in microorganisms, as well as the prospects for their use in optogenetics to control neuronal activity, including treatment of various diseases. One of the representatives of microbial rhodopsins is ESR, the retinal protein of Exiguobacterium sibiricum. What distinguishes ESR from homologous proteins is the presence of a lysine residue (Lys96) as a proton donor for the Schiff base. This feature, along with the hydrogen bond of the proton acceptor Asp85 with the His57 residue, determines functional characteristics of ESR as a proton pump. This review examines the results of ESR studies conducted using various methods, including direct electrometry. Comparison of the obtained data with the results of structural studies and with other retinal proteins allows us to draw conclusions about the mechanisms of transport of hydrogen ions in ESR and similar retinal proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
| | - Sergei A Siletsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Mahir D Mamedov
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Eugene P Lukashev
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Sergei P Balashov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Dmitry A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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4
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Bar-Shalom R, Rozenberg A, Lahyani M, Hassanzadeh B, Sahoo G, Haber M, Burgsdorf I, Tang X, Squatrito V, Gomez-Consarnau L, Béjà O, Steindler L. Rhodopsin-mediated nutrient uptake by cultivated photoheterotrophic Verrucomicrobiota. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01412-1. [PMID: 37120702 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01412-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Rhodopsin photosystems convert light energy into electrochemical gradients used by the cell to produce ATP, or for other energy-demanding processes. While these photosystems are widespread in the ocean and have been identified in diverse microbial taxonomic groups, their physiological role in vivo has only been studied in few marine bacterial strains. Recent metagenomic studies revealed the presence of rhodopsin genes in the understudied Verrucomicrobiota phylum, yet their distribution within different Verrucomicrobiota lineages, their diversity, and function remain unknown. In this study, we show that more than 7% of Verrucomicrobiota genomes (n = 2916) harbor rhodopsins of different types. Furthermore, we describe the first two cultivated rhodopsin-containing strains, one harboring a proteorhodopsin gene and the other a xanthorhodopsin gene, allowing us to characterize their physiology under laboratory-controlled conditions. The strains were isolated in a previous study from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and read mapping of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed the highest abundances of these strains at the deep chlorophyll maximum (source of their inoculum) in winter and spring, with a substantial decrease in summer. Genomic analysis of the isolates suggests that motility and degradation of organic material, both energy demanding functions, may be supported by rhodopsin phototrophy in Verrucomicrobiota. Under culture conditions, we show that rhodopsin phototrophy occurs under carbon starvation, with light-mediated energy generation supporting sugar transport into the cells. Overall, this study suggests that photoheterotrophic Verrucomicrobiota may occupy an ecological niche where energy harvested from light enables bacterial motility toward organic matter and supports nutrient uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinat Bar-Shalom
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Matan Lahyani
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Babak Hassanzadeh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Gobardhan Sahoo
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India
| | - Markus Haber
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sadkach 7, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ilia Burgsdorf
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Xinyu Tang
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Valeria Squatrito
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Laura Gomez-Consarnau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, BC, México
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Laura Steindler
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
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5
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Petrovskaya LE, Lukashev EP, Mamedov MD, Kryukova EA, Balashov SP, Dolgikh DA, Rubin AB, Kirpichnikov MP, Siletsky SA. Oriented Insertion of ESR-Containing Hybrid Proteins in Proteoliposomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087369. [PMID: 37108532 PMCID: PMC10138546 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins comprise a diverse family of retinal-containing membrane proteins that convert absorbed light energy to transmembrane ion transport or sensory signals. Incorporation of these proteins in proteoliposomes allows their properties to be studied in a native-like environment; however, unidirectional protein orientation in the artificial membranes is rarely observed. We aimed to obtain proteoliposomes with unidirectional orientation using a proton-pumping retinal protein from Exiguobacterium sibiricum, ESR, as a model. Three ESR hybrids with soluble protein domains (mCherry or thioredoxin at the C-terminus and Caf1M chaperone at the N-terminus) were obtained and characterized. The photocycle of the hybrid proteins incorporated in proteoliposomes demonstrated a higher pKa of the M state accumulation compared to that of the wild-type ESR. Large negative electrogenic phases and an increase in the relative amplitude of kinetic components in the microsecond time range in the kinetics of membrane potential generation of ESR-Cherry and ESR-Trx indicate a decrease in the efficiency of transmembrane proton transport. On the contrary, Caf-ESR demonstrates a native-like kinetics of membrane potential generation and the corresponding electrogenic stages. Our experiments show that the hybrid with Caf1M promotes the unidirectional orientation of ESR in proteoliposomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeniy P Lukashev
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mahir D Mamedov
- Belozersky Institute of Physical-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena A Kryukova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei P Balashov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Dmitry A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrei B Rubin
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey A Siletsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physical-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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6
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Petrovskaya LE, Lukashev EP, Lyukmanova EN, Shulepko MA, Kryukova EA, Ziganshin RH, Dolgikh DA, Maksimov EG, Rubin AB, Kirpichnikov MP, Lanyi JK, Balashov SP. Expression of Xanthorhodopsin in Escherichia coli. Protein J 2023:10.1007/s10930-023-10109-5. [DOI: 10.1007/s10930-023-10109-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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7
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Chazan A, Das I, Fujiwara T, Murakoshi S, Rozenberg A, Molina-Márquez A, Sano FK, Tanaka T, Gómez-Villegas P, Larom S, Pushkarev A, Malakar P, Hasegawa M, Tsukamoto Y, Ishizuka T, Konno M, Nagata T, Mizuno Y, Katayama K, Abe-Yoshizumi R, Ruhman S, Inoue K, Kandori H, León R, Shihoya W, Yoshizawa S, Sheves M, Nureki O, Béjà O. Phototrophy by antenna-containing rhodopsin pumps in aquatic environments. Nature 2023; 615:535-540. [PMID: 36859551 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05774-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Energy transfer from light-harvesting ketocarotenoids to the light-driven proton pump xanthorhodopsins has been previously demonstrated in two unique cases: an extreme halophilic bacterium1 and a terrestrial cyanobacterium2. Attempts to find carotenoids that bind and transfer energy to abundant rhodopsin proton pumps3 from marine photoheterotrophs have thus far failed4-6. Here we detected light energy transfer from the widespread hydroxylated carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein to the retinal moiety of xanthorhodopsins and proteorhodopsins using functional metagenomics combined with chromophore extraction from the environment. The light-harvesting carotenoids transfer up to 42% of the harvested energy in the violet- or blue-light range to the green-light absorbing retinal chromophore. Our data suggest that these antennas may have a substantial effect on rhodopsin phototrophy in the world's lakes, seas and oceans. However, the functional implications of our findings are yet to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Chazan
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ishita Das
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Takayoshi Fujiwara
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shunya Murakoshi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ana Molina-Márquez
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Fumiya K Sano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuki Tanaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Patricia Gómez-Villegas
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Shirley Larom
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Partha Malakar
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Masumi Hasegawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuya Tsukamoto
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Ishizuka
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Masae Konno
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagata
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yosuke Mizuno
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kota Katayama
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rei Abe-Yoshizumi
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sanford Ruhman
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rosa León
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Wataru Shihoya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Susumu Yoshizawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Osamu Nureki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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8
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Pedraza-González L, Barneschi L, Padula D, De Vico L, Olivucci M. Evolution of the Automatic Rhodopsin Modeling (ARM) Protocol. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2022; 380:21. [PMID: 35291019 PMCID: PMC8924150 DOI: 10.1007/s41061-022-00374-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, photoactive proteins such as rhodopsins have become a common target for cutting-edge research in the field of optogenetics. Alongside wet-lab research, computational methods are also developing rapidly to provide the necessary tools to analyze and rationalize experimental results and, most of all, drive the design of novel systems. The Automatic Rhodopsin Modeling (ARM) protocol is focused on providing exactly the necessary computational tools to study rhodopsins, those being either natural or resulting from mutations. The code has evolved along the years to finally provide results that are reproducible by any user, accurate and reliable so as to replicate experimental trends. Furthermore, the code is efficient in terms of necessary computing resources and time, and scalable in terms of both number of concurrent calculations as well as features. In this review, we will show how the code underlying ARM achieved each of these properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pedraza-González
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy. .,Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Leonardo Barneschi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Daniele Padula
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Luca De Vico
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.
| | - Massimo Olivucci
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy. .,Department of Chemistry, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA.
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9
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Chazan A, Rozenberg A, Mannen K, Nagata T, Tahan R, Yaish S, Larom S, Inoue K, Béjà O, Pushkarev A. Diverse heliorhodopsins detected via functional metagenomics in freshwater Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Archaea. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:110-121. [PMID: 34984789 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The recently discovered rhodopsin family of heliorhodopsins (HeRs) is abundant in diverse microbial environments. So far, the functional and biological roles of HeRs remain unknown. To tackle this issue, we combined experimental and computational screens to gain some novel insights. Here, 10 readily expressed HeR genes were found using functional metagenomics on samples from two freshwater environments. These HeRs originated from diverse prokaryotic groups: Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Archaea. Heterologously expressed HeRs absorbed light in the green and yellow wavelengths (543-562 nm) and their photocycles exhibited diverse kinetic characteristics. To approach the physiological function of the HeRs, we used our environmental clones along with thousands of microbial genomes to analyze genes neighbouring HeRs. The strongest association was found with the DegV family involved in activation of fatty acids, which allowed us to hypothesize that HeRs might be involved in light-induced membrane lipid modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Chazan
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Kentaro Mannen
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8581, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagata
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8581, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Ran Tahan
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Shir Yaish
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Shirley Larom
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8581, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
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10
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Rodriguez-Valera F, Pushkarev A, Rosselli R, Béjà O. Searching Metagenomes for New Rhodopsins. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2501:101-108. [PMID: 35857224 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2329-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most microbial groups have not been cultivated yet, and the only way to approach the enormous diversity of rhodopsins that they contain in a sensible timeframe is through the analysis of their genomes. High-throughput sequencing technologies have allowed the release of community genomics (metagenomics) of many habitats in the photic zones of the ocean and lakes. Already the harvest is impressive and included from the first bacterial rhodopsin (proteorhodopsin) to the recent discovery of heliorhodopsin by functional metagenomics. However, the search continues using bioinformatic or biochemical routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Rodriguez-Valera
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Riccardo Rosselli
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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11
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Abstract
Rhodopsins are photoreceptive membrane proteins consisting of a common heptahelical transmembrane architecture that contains a retinal chromophore. Rhodopsin was first discovered in the animal retina in 1876, but a different type of rhodopsin, bacteriorhodopsin, was reported to be present in the cell membrane of an extreme halophilic archaeon, Halobacterium salinarum, 95 years later. Although these findings were made by physiological observation of pigmented tissue and cell bodies, recent progress in genomic and metagenomic analyses has revealed that there are more than 10,000 microbial rhodopsins and 9000 animal rhodopsins with large diversity and tremendous new functionality. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we provide an overview of the diversity of functions, structures, color discrimination mechanisms and optogenetic applications of these two rhodopsin families, and will also highlight the third distinctive rhodopsin family, heliorhodopsin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Nagata
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
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12
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Konno M, Inoue K, Kandori H. Ion Transport Activity Assay for Microbial Rhodopsin Expressed in Escherichia coli Cells. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4115. [PMID: 34458409 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins have diverse functions, including roles as light-driven ion pumps, light-gated ion channels, photosensors, and light-regulated enzymes. As the number of rhodopsin-like genes identified has increased in recent years, so has the requirement for rapid identification of their functions. The patch-clamp method is often used to investigate the ion transport mechanism of microbial rhodopsins in mammalian cells; however, this requires a dedicated system and advanced techniques. The ion transport assay using the Escherichia coli expression system described here evaluates the ion transport capacity by monitoring the pH change in E. coli suspensions; if the target rhodopsin has a light-dependent ion transport activity, a light-dependent pH change is observed. The pH increase or decrease corresponds to proton release from the cell or proton uptake into the cell, respectively. This method can be used to evaluate ion transport capacity in a high-throughput manner using a combination of general-purpose equipment and common techniques. Graphic abstract: Schematic diagram of the ion transport assay in rhodopsin-expressing E. coli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masae Konno
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan.,OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
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13
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Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are diverse photoreceptive proteins containing a retinal chromophore and are found in all domains of cellular life and are even encoded in genomes of viruses. These rhodopsins make up two families: type 1 rhodopsins and the recently discovered heliorhodopsins. These families have seven transmembrane helices with similar structures but opposing membrane orientation. Microbial rhodopsins participate in a portfolio of light-driven energy and sensory transduction processes. In this review we present data collected over the last two decades about these rhodopsins and describe their diversity, functions, and biological and ecological roles. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; ,
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8581, Japan;
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan;
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; ,
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14
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Inoue K. Diversity, Mechanism, and Optogenetic Application of Light-Driven Ion Pump Rhodopsins. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1293:89-126. [PMID: 33398809 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Ion-transporting microbial rhodopsins are widely used as major molecular tools in optogenetics. They are categorized into light-gated ion channels and light-driven ion pumps. While the former passively transport various types of cations and anions in a light-dependent manner, light-driven ion pumps actively transport specific ions, such as H+, Na+, Cl-, against electrophysiological potential by using light energy. Since the ion transport by these pumps induces hyperpolarization of membrane potential and inhibit neural firing, light-driven ion-pumping rhodopsins are mostly applied as inhibitory optogenetics tools. Recent progress in genome and metagenome sequencing identified more than several thousands of ion-pumping rhodopsins from a wide variety of microbes, and functional characterization studies has been revealing many new types of light-driven ion pumps one after another. Since light-gated channels were reviewed in other chapters in this book, here the rapid progress in functional characterization, molecular mechanism study, and optogenetic application of ion-pumping rhodopsins were reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan.
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15
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Genomes of the " Candidatus Actinomarinales" Order: Highly Streamlined Marine Epipelagic Actinobacteria. mSystems 2020; 5:5/6/e01041-20. [PMID: 33323418 PMCID: PMC7771536 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01041-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiology is in a new age in which sequence databases are primary sources of information about many microbes. However, in-depth analysis of environmental genomes thus retrieved is essential to substantiate the new knowledge. “Candidatus Actinomarinales” was defined as a subclass of exclusively marine Actinobacteria with small cells and genomes. We have collected all the available genomes in databases to assess the diversity included in this group and analyzed it by comparative genomics. We have found the equivalent of five genera and 18 genomospecies. They have genome reduction parameters equal to those of freshwater actinobacterial “Candidatus Nanopelagicales” or marine alphaproteobacterial Pelagibacterales. Genome recruitment shows that they are found only in the photic zone and mainly in surface waters, with only one genus that is found preferentially at or below the deep chlorophyll maximum. “Ca. Actinomarinales” show a highly conserved core genome (80% of the gene families conserved for the whole order) with a saturation of genomic diversity of the flexible genome at the genomospecies level. We found only a flexible genomic island preserved throughout the order; it is related to the sugar decoration of the envelope and uses several tRNAs as hot spots to increase its genomic diversity. Populations had a discrete level of sequence diversity similar to other marine microbes but drastically different from the much higher levels found for Pelagibacterales. Genomic analysis suggests that they are all aerobic photoheterotrophs with one type 1 rhodopsin and a heliorhodopsin. Like other actinobacteria, they possess the F420 coenzyme biosynthesis pathway, and its lower reduction potential could provide access to an increased range of redox chemical transformations. Last, sequence analysis revealed the first “Ca. Actinomarinales” phages, including a prophage, with metaviromic islands related to sialic acid cleavage. IMPORTANCE Microbiology is in a new age in which sequence databases are primary sources of information about many microbes. However, in-depth analysis of environmental genomes thus retrieved is essential to substantiate the new knowledge. Here, we study 182 genomes belonging to the only known exclusively marine pelagic group of the phylum Actinobacteria. The aquatic branch of this phylum is largely known from environmental sequencing studies (single-amplified genomes [SAGs] and metagenome-assembled genomes [MAGs]), and we have collected and analyzed the available information present in databases about the “Ca. Actinomarinales.” They are among the most streamlined microbes to live in the epipelagic zone of the ocean, and their study is critical to obtain a proper view of the diversity of Actinobacteria and their role in aquatic ecosystems.
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16
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Man Z, Guo J, Zhang Y, Cai Z. Regulation of intracellular ATP supply and its application in industrial biotechnology. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2020; 40:1151-1162. [PMID: 32862717 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2020.1813071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Efficient cell factories are the core of industrial biotechnology. In recent years, synthetic biology develops rapidly, and more and more modified microbial cell factories are employed in industrial biotechnology. ATP plays vital roles in biosynthesis, metabolism regulation, and cellular maintenance. Regulating cellular ATP supply can effectively modify cellular metabolism. This paper presents a review of recent studies on the regulation of the intracellular ATP supply and its application in industrial biotechnology. Detailed strategies for regulating the ATP supply and the resulting impact on bioproduction are introduced. It is observed that regulating the cellular ATP supply can provide great possibilities for making microbial cells into efficient factories. Future perspectives for further understanding the function of ATP are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaiwei Man
- Advanced Catalysis and Green Manufacturing Collaborative Innovation Center, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China.,Zaozhuang Key Laboratory of Corn Bioengineering, Zaozhuang Science and Technology Collaborative Innovation Center of Enzyme, Shandong Hengren Gongmao Co. Ltd, Zaozhuang, China
| | - Jing Guo
- Advanced Catalysis and Green Manufacturing Collaborative Innovation Center, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
| | - Yingyang Zhang
- Advanced Catalysis and Green Manufacturing Collaborative Innovation Center, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Cai
- Advanced Catalysis and Green Manufacturing Collaborative Innovation Center, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
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17
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Kwon SK, Jun SH, Kim JF. Omega Rhodopsins: A Versatile Class of Microbial Rhodopsins. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 30:633-641. [PMID: 32482928 PMCID: PMC9728251 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1912.12010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are a superfamily of photoactive membrane proteins with covalently bound retinal cofactor. Isomerization of the retinal chromophore upon absorption of a photon triggers conformational changes of the protein to function as ion pumps or sensors. After the discovery of proteorhodopsin in an uncultivated γ-proteobacterium, light-activated proton pumps have been widely detected among marine bacteria and, together with chlorophyll-based photosynthesis, are considered as an important axis responsible for primary production in the biosphere. Rhodopsins and related proteins show a high level of phylogenetic diversity; we focus on a specific class of bacterial rhodopsins containing the 3 omega motif. This motif forms a stack of three nonconsecutive aromatic amino acids that correlates with the B-C loop orientation, and is shared among the phylogenetically close ion pumps such as the NDQ motif-containing sodium-pumping rhodopsin, the NTQ motif-containing chloride-pumping rhodopsin, and some proton-pumping rhodopsins including xanthorhodopsin. Here, we reviewed the recent research progress on these omega rhodopsins, and speculated on their evolutionary origin of functional diversity..
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Affiliation(s)
- Soon-Kyeong Kwon
- Division of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hoon Jun
- Electron Microscopy Research Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 8119, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun F. Kim
- Department of Systems Biology, Division of Life Sciences, and Institute for Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 0722, Republic of Korea
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18
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Shibukawa A, Kojima K, Nakajima Y, Nishimura Y, Yoshizawa S, Sudo Y. Photochemical Characterization of a New Heliorhodopsin from the Gram-Negative Eubacterium Bellilinea caldifistulae (BcHeR) and Comparison with Heliorhodopsin-48C12. Biochemistry 2019; 58:2934-2943. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Shibukawa
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Keiichi Kojima
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Yu Nakajima
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Yosuke Nishimura
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Susumu Yoshizawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
- Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8563, Japan
| | - Yuki Sudo
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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19
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Maresca JA, Miller KJ, Keffer JL, Sabanayagam CR, Campbell BJ. Distribution and Diversity of Rhodopsin-Producing Microbes in the Chesapeake Bay. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e00137-18. [PMID: 29703736 PMCID: PMC6007120 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00137-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Although sunlight is an abundant source of energy in surface environments, less than 0.5% of the available photons are captured by (bacterio)chlorophyll-dependent photosynthesis in plants and bacteria. Metagenomic data indicate that 30 to 60% of the bacterial genomes in some environments encode rhodopsins, retinal-based photosystems found in heterotrophs, suggesting that sunlight may provide energy for more life than previously suspected. However, quantitative data on the number of cells that produce rhodopsins in environmental systems are limited. Here, we use total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to show that the number of free-living microbes that produce rhodopsins increases along the salinity gradient in the Chesapeake Bay. We correlate this functional data with environmental data to show that rhodopsin abundance is positively correlated with salinity and with indicators of active heterotrophy during the day. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data suggest that the microbial rhodopsins in the low-salinity samples are primarily found in Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, while those in the high-salinity samples are associated with SAR-11 type AlphaproteobacteriaIMPORTANCE Microbial rhodopsins are common light-activated ion pumps in heterotrophs, and previous work has proposed that heterotrophic microbes use them to conserve energy when organic carbon is limiting. If this hypothesis is correct, rhodopsin-producing cells should be most abundant where nutrients are most limited. Our results indicate that in the Chesapeake Bay, rhodopsin gene abundance is correlated with salinity, and functional rhodopsin production is correlated with nitrate, bacterial production, and chlorophyll a We propose that in this environment, where carbon and nitrogen are likely not limiting, heterotrophs do not need to use rhodopsins to supplement ATP synthesis. Rather, the light-generated proton motive force in nutrient-rich environments could be used to power energy-dependent membrane-associated processes, such as active transport of organic carbon and cofactors, enabling these organisms to more efficiently utilize exudates from primary producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Maresca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Kelsey J Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Jessica L Keffer
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | | | - Barbara J Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
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20
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Pushkarev A, Inoue K, Larom S, Flores-Uribe J, Singh M, Konno M, Tomida S, Ito S, Nakamura R, Tsunoda SP, Philosof A, Sharon I, Yutin N, Koonin EV, Kandori H, Béjà O. A distinct abundant group of microbial rhodopsins discovered using functional metagenomics. Nature 2018; 558:595-599. [PMID: 29925949 PMCID: PMC11128463 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0225-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms capture or sense sunlight using rhodopsin pigments1,2, which are integral membrane proteins that bind retinal chromophores. Rhodopsins comprise two distinct protein families 1 , type-1 (microbial rhodopsins) and type-2 (animal rhodopsins). The two families share similar topologies and contain seven transmembrane helices that form a pocket in which retinal is linked covalently as a protonated Schiff base to a lysine at the seventh transmembrane helix2,3. Type-1 and type-2 rhodopsins show little or no sequence similarity to each other, as a consequence of extensive divergence from a common ancestor or convergent evolution of similar structures 1 . Here we report a previously unknown and diverse family of rhodopsins-which we term the heliorhodopsins-that we identified using functional metagenomics and that are distantly related to type-1 rhodopsins. Heliorhodopsins are embedded in the membrane with their N termini facing the cell cytoplasm, an orientation that is opposite to that of type-1 or type-2 rhodopsins. Heliorhodopsins show photocycles that are longer than one second, which is suggestive of light-sensory activity. Heliorhodopsin photocycles accompany retinal isomerization and proton transfer, as in type-1 and type-2 rhodopsins, but protons are never released from the protein, even transiently. Heliorhodopsins are abundant and distributed globally; we detected them in Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya and their viruses. Our findings reveal a previously unknown family of light-sensing rhodopsins that are widespread in the microbial world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- Frontier Research Institute for Material Science, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Shirley Larom
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - José Flores-Uribe
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Manish Singh
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masae Konno
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sahoko Tomida
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shota Ito
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ryoko Nakamura
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoshi P Tsunoda
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Alon Philosof
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Itai Sharon
- Migal Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona, Israel
- Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee, Israel
| | - Natalya Yutin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan.
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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21
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Pushkarev A, Hevroni G, Roitman S, Shim JG, Choi A, Jung KH, Béjà O. The Use of a Chimeric Rhodopsin Vector for the Detection of New Proteorhodopsins Based on Color. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:439. [PMID: 29593685 PMCID: PMC5859045 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Student microbial ecology laboratory courses are often conducted as condensed courses in which theory and wet lab work are combined in a very intensive short time period. In last decades, the study of marine microbial ecology is increasingly reliant on molecular-based methods, and as a result many of the research projects conducted in such courses require sequencing that is often not available on site and may take more time than a typical course allows. In this work, we describe a protocol combining molecular and functional methods for analyzing proteorhodopsins (PRs), with visible results in only 4–5 days that do not rely on sequencing. PRs were discovered in oceanic surface waters two decades ago, and have since been observed in different marine environments and diverse taxa, including the abundant alphaproteobacterial SAR11 group. PR subgroups are currently known to absorb green and blue light, and their distribution was previously explained by prevailing light conditions – green pigments at the surface and blue pigments in deeper waters, as blue light travels deeper in the water column. To detect PR in environmental samples, we created a chimeric plasmid suitable for direct expression of PRs using PCR amplification and functional analysis in Escherichia coli cells. Using this assay, we discovered several exceptional cases of PRs whose phenotypes differed from those predicted based on sequence only, including a previously undescribed yellow-light absorbing PRs. We applied this assay in two 10-days marine microbiology courses and found it to greatly enhance students’ laboratory experience, enabling them to gain rapid visual feedback and colorful reward for their work. Furthermore we expect this assay to promote the use of functional assays for the discovery of new rhodopsin variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gur Hevroni
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sheila Roitman
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jin-Gon Shim
- Department of Life Science and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ahreum Choi
- Department of Life Science and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kwang-Hwan Jung
- Department of Life Science and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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22
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Iyer ESS, Misra R, Maity A, Liubashevski O, Sudo Y, Sheves M, Ruhman S. Temperature Independence of Ultrafast Photoisomerization in Thermophilic Rhodopsin: Assessment versus Other Microbial Proton Pumps. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:12401-7. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b05002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramprasad Misra
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Arnab Maity
- Institute
of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Oleg Liubashevski
- Institute
of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Yuki Sudo
- Division
of Pharmaceutical sciences, Okayama University, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-0082, Japan
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sanford Ruhman
- Institute
of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
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23
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Marine Bacterial and Archaeal Ion-Pumping Rhodopsins: Genetic Diversity, Physiology, and Ecology. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2016; 80:929-54. [PMID: 27630250 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00003-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The recognition of a new family of rhodopsins in marine planktonic bacteria, proton-pumping proteorhodopsin, expanded the known phylogenetic range, environmental distribution, and sequence diversity of retinylidene photoproteins. At the time of this discovery, microbial ion-pumping rhodopsins were known solely in haloarchaea inhabiting extreme hypersaline environments. Shortly thereafter, proteorhodopsins and other light-activated energy-generating rhodopsins were recognized to be widespread among marine bacteria. The ubiquity of marine rhodopsin photosystems now challenges prior understanding of the nature and contributions of "heterotrophic" bacteria to biogeochemical carbon cycling and energy fluxes. Subsequent investigations have focused on the biophysics and biochemistry of these novel microbial rhodopsins, their distribution across the tree of life, evolutionary trajectories, and functional expression in nature. Later discoveries included the identification of proteorhodopsin genes in all three domains of life, the spectral tuning of rhodopsin variants to wavelengths prevailing in the sea, variable light-activated ion-pumping specificities among bacterial rhodopsin variants, and the widespread lateral gene transfer of biosynthetic genes for bacterial rhodopsins and their associated photopigments. Heterologous expression experiments with marine rhodopsin genes (and associated retinal chromophore genes) provided early evidence that light energy harvested by rhodopsins could be harnessed to provide biochemical energy. Importantly, some studies with native marine bacteria show that rhodopsin-containing bacteria use light to enhance growth or promote survival during starvation. We infer from the distribution of rhodopsin genes in diverse genomic contexts that different marine bacteria probably use rhodopsins to support light-dependent fitness strategies somewhere between these two extremes.
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