PHOTOREACTION OF THE ACIDIFIED FORM OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN AND ITS 9-CIS DERIVATIVE IN PURPLE MEMBRANE AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Nature of the chromophore binding site of bacteriorhodopsin: the potential role of Arg82 as a principal counterion

The nature of the chromophore binding site of light-adapted bacteriorhodopsin is analyzed by using modified neglect of differential overlap with partial single and double configuration interaction (MNDO-PSDCI) molecular orbital theory to interpret previously reported linear and nonlinear optical spectroscopic measurements. We conclude that in the absence of divalent metal cations in close interaction with Asp85 and Asp212, a positively charged amino acid must be present in the same vicinity. We find that models in which Arg82 is pointed upward into the chromophore binding site and directly stabilizes Asp85 and Asp212 are successful in rationalizing the observed one-photon and two-photon properties. We conclude further that a water molecule is strongly hydrogen bonded to the chromophore imine proton. The chromophore "1Bu*+" and "1Ag*-" states, despite extensive mixing, exhibit significantly different configurational character. The lowest-lying "1Bu*+" state is dominated by single excitations, whereas the second-excited "1Ag*-" state is dominated by double excitations. We can rule out the possibility of a negatively charged binding site, because such a site would produce a lowest-lying "1Ag*-" state, which is contrary to experimental observation. The possibility that Arg82 migrates toward the extracellular surface during the photocycle is examined.

Photochemistry in dried polymer films incorporating the deionized blue membrane form of bacteriorhodopsin

The preparation and photochemical properties of dried deionized blue membrane (dIbR600; lambdamax approximately 600 nm, epsilon approximately 54, 760 cm-1 M-1, f approximately 1.1) in polyvinyl alcohol films are studied. Reversible photoconversion from dIbR600 to the pink membrane (dIbR485; lambdamax approximately 485 nm) is shown to occur in these films under conditions of strong 647-nm laser irradiation. The pink membrane analog, dIbR485, has a molar extinction coefficient of approximately 39,000 cm-1 M-1 (f approximately 1.2). The ratio of pink --> blue and blue --> pink quantum efficiencies is 33 +/- 5. We observe an additional blue-shifted species (dIbR455, lambdamax approximately 455 nm) with a very low oscillator strength (f approximately 0.6, epsilon approximately 26,000 cm-1 M-1). This species is the product of fast thermal decay of dIbR485. Molecular modeling indicates that charge/charge and charge/dipole interactions introduced by the protonation of ASP85 are responsible for lowering the excited-state all-trans --> 9-cis barrier to approximately 6 kcal mol-1 while increasing the corresponding all-trans --> 13-cis barrier to approximately 4 kcal mol-1. Photochemical formation of both 9-cis and 13-cis photoproducts are now competitive, as is observed experimentally. We suggest that dIbR455 may be a 9-cis, 10-s-distorted species that partially divides the chromophore into two localized conjugated segments with a concomitant blue shift and decreased oscillator strength of the lambdamax absorption band.

Interaction of aromatic retinal analogues with apopurple membranes of Halobacterium halobium

Absorption spectral properties of aromatic analogues of retinal with apopurple membrane of Halobacterium halobium were studied. The spectra of the all-trans forms were composed of two or more absorption bands. During incubation at 20 degrees C, an absorption band above 500 nm increased in intensity gradually at the expense of an absorption band in the shorter wavelength region with no isomerization of the chromophore. The longer wavelength species was shown to be the protonated form of the shorter wavelength species by changing the pH of the medium. Upon irradiation with blue light, the bandwidth of the spectrum became smaller with isomerization of the chromophore to its 13-cis form. Irreversible binding of protons on the membrane occurred during this process. The rate of the increase in the longer wavelength absorption band was especially low in the reaction with the all-trans form of retinal analogues having a bulky substituent at the para or meta positions of the phenyl ring. In contrast, the 13-cis isomer of aromatic retinal analogues gave a single absorption peak. The extent of the spectral shift upon binding to apopurple membranes was compared over a series of aromatic retinals, and the results were explained in terms of steric interactions of the chromophore with the protein.

Absorption spectral properties of acetylated bacteriorhodopsin in purple membrane depending on pH

The dark-adapted form of bacteriorhodopsin in the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium changes its absorption maximum from 560 to 600 nm if the pH is lowered to about 2 [Oesterhelt, D., & Stoeckenius, W. (1971) Nature (London), New Biol. 233, 149; Moore, T. A., Edgerton, M. E., Parr, G., Greenwood, C., & Perham, R. N. (1978) Biochem. J. 171, 469; Mowery, P. C., Lozier, R. H., Chae, Q., Tseng, T.-W., Taylor, M., & Stoeckenius, W. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 4100; Fischer, U., & Oesterhelt, D. (1979) Biophys. J. 28, 211; Muccio, D. D., & Cassim, J. Y. (1979) J. Mol. Biol. 135, 595]. We compared the pH dependence of the absorption spectra of acetylated membrane with that of unacetylated native membrane. The completely acetylated membrane showed a midpoint of pH 4.8 for the conversion to the acidic form; that of the native membrane was 3.4. On acetylation, the absorption maximum at neutral pH moved from 560 to 555 nm with about 20% decreases in extinction coefficients as compared with that of the native membrane, whereas the spectrum in acid was not affected. The chloride-dependent blue shift from the acidic form of the acetylated membrane was largely suppressed. The CD spectrum of the acetylated membrane was composed of two bands of an opposite sign with slightly decreased amplitudes. The chromophore of the acetylated membrane was sensitive to hydroxylamine, and the spectrum before bleaching was restored on addition of all-trans-retinal to the bleached membrane followed by dark incubation. Blue light irradiation accelerated the conversion to the acidic form in the native membrane but not in the acetylated membrane. Reductive ethylation did not affect the pH dependence of the absorption spectra.