A Fourier transform infrared study of Neurospora rhodopsin: similarities with archaeal rhodopsins

My remembrances of H.G. Khorana: exploring the mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin with site-directed mutagenesis and FTIR difference spectroscopy

H.G. Khorana's seminal contributions to molecular biology are well-known. He also had a lesser known but still major influence on current application of advanced vibrational spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR difference spectroscopy to explore the mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin and other integral membrane proteins. In this review, I provide a personal perspective of my collaborative research and interactions with Gobind, from 1982 to 1995 when our groups published over 25 papers together which resulted in an early picture of key features of the bacteriorhodopsin proton pump mechanism. Much of this early work served as a blueprint for subsequent advances based on combining protein bioengineering and vibrational spectroscopic techniques to study integral membrane proteins.

The crystal structure of bromide-bound GtACR1 reveals a pre-activated state in the transmembrane anion tunnel

The crystal structure of the light-gated anion channel GtACR1 reported in our previous Research Article (Li et al., 2019) revealed a continuous tunnel traversing the protein from extracellular to intracellular pores. We proposed the tunnel as the conductance channel closed by three constrictions: C1 in the extracellular half, mid-membrane C2 containing the photoactive site, and C3 on the cytoplasmic side. Reported here, the crystal structure of bromide-bound GtACR1 reveals structural changes that relax the C1 and C3 constrictions, including a novel salt-bridge switch mechanism involving C1 and the photoactive site. These findings indicate that substrate binding induces a transition from an inactivated state to a pre-activated state in the dark that facilitates channel opening by reducing free energy in the tunnel constrictions. The results provide direct evidence that the tunnel is the closed form of the channel of GtACR1 and shed light on the light-gated channel activation mechanism.

Analog Retinal Redshifts Visible Absorption of QuasAr Transmembrane Voltage Sensors into Near-infrared

Opsin‐based transmembrane voltage sensors (OTVSs) are increasingly important tools for neuroscience enabling neural function in complex brain circuits to be explored in live, behaving animals. However, the visible wavelengths required for fluorescence excitation of the current generation of OTVSs limit optogenetic imaging in the brain to depths of only a few mm due to the strong absorption and scattering of visible light by biological tissues. We report that substitution of the native A1 retinal chromophore of the widely used QuasAr1/2 OTVSs with the retinal analog MMAR containing a methylamino‐modified dimethylphenyl ring results in over a 100‐nm redshift of the maxima of the absorption and fluorescence emission bands to near 700 and 840 nm, respectively. FT‐Raman spectroscopy reveals that at pH 7 QuasAr1 with both the A1 and MMAR chromophores possess predominantly an all‐trans protonated Schiff base configuration with the MMAR chromophore exhibiting increased torsion of the polyene single‐/double‐bond system similar to the O‐intermediate of the BR photocycle. In contrast, the A1 and the MMAR chromophores of QuasAr2 exist partially in a 13‐cis PSB configuration. These results demonstrate that QuasArs containing the MMAR chromophore are attractive candidates for use as NIR‐OTVSs, especially for applications such as deep brain imaging.

Raman spectroscopy of a near infrared absorbing proteorhodopsin: Similarities to the bacteriorhodopsin O photointermediate

Microbial rhodopsins have become an important tool in the field of optogenetics. However, effective in vivo optogenetics is in many cases severely limited due to the strong absorption and scattering of visible light by biological tissues. Recently, a combination of opsin site-directed mutagenesis and analog retinal substitution has produced variants of proteorhodopsin which absorb maximally in the near-infrared (NIR). In this study, UV-Visible-NIR absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy were used to study the double mutant, D212N/F234S, of green absorbing proteorhodopsin (GPR) regenerated with MMAR, a retinal analog containing a methylamino modified β-ionone ring. Four distinct subcomponent absorption bands with peak maxima near 560, 620, 710 and 780 nm are detected with the NIR bands dominant at pH <7.3, and the visible bands dominant at pH 9.5. FT-Raman using 1064-nm excitation reveal two strong ethylenic bands at 1482 and 1498 cm-1 corresponding to the NIR subcomponent absorption bands based on an extended linear correlation between λmax and γC = C. This spectrum exhibits two intense bands in the fingerprint and HOOP mode regions that are highly characteristic of the O640 photointermediate from the light-adapted bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. In contrast, 532-nm excitation enhances the 560-nm component, which exhibits bands very similar to light-adapted bacteriorhodopsin and/or the acid-purple form of bacteriorhodopsin. Native GPR and its mutant D97N when regenerated with MMAR also exhibit similar absorption and Raman bands but with weaker contributions from the NIR absorbing components. Based on these results it is proposed that the NIR absorption in GPR-D212N/F234S with MMAR arises from an O-like chromophore, where the Schiff base counterion D97 is protonated and the MMAR adopts an all-trans configuration with a non-planar geometry due to twists in the conjugated polyene segment. This configuration is characterized by extensive charge delocalization, most likely involving nitrogens atoms in the MMAR chromophore.

Molecular details of the unique mechanism of chloride transport by a cyanobacterial rhodopsin

Microbial rhodopsins are well known as versatile and ubiquitous light-driven ion transporters and photosensors. While the proton transport mechanism has been studied in great detail, much less is known about various modes of anion transport. Until recently, only two main groups of light-driven anion pumps were known, archaeal halorhodopsins (HRs) and bacterial chloride pumps (known as ClRs or NTQs). Last year, another group of cyanobacterial anion pumps with a very distinct primary structure was reported. Here, we studied the chloride-transporting photocycle of a representative of this new group, Mastigocladopsis repens rhodopsin (MastR), using time-resolved spectroscopy in the infrared and visible ranges and site-directed mutagenesis. We found that, in accordance with its unique amino acid sequence containing many polar residues in the transmembrane region of the protein, its photocycle features a number of unusual molecular events not known for other anion-pumping rhodopsins. It appears that light-driven chloride ion transfers by MastR are coupled with translocation of protons and water molecules as well as perturbation of several polar sidechains. Of particular interest is transient deprotonation of Asp-85, homologous to the cytoplasmic proton donor of light-driven proton pumps (such as Asp-96 of bacteriorhodopsin), which may serve as a regulatory mechanism.

Structural Changes in an Anion Channelrhodopsin: Formation of the K and L Intermediates at 80 K

A recently discovered natural family of light-gated anion channelrhodopsins (ACRs) from cryptophyte algae provides an effective means of optogenetically silencing neurons. The most extensively studied ACR is from Guillardia theta (GtACR1). Earlier studies of GtACR1 have established a correlation between formation of a blue-shifted L-like intermediate and the anion channel "open" state. To study structural changes of GtACR1 in the K and L intermediates of the photocycle, a combination of low-temperature Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible absorption difference spectroscopy was used along with stable-isotope retinal labeling and site-directed mutagenesis. In contrast to bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and other microbial rhodopsins, which form only a stable red-shifted K intermediate at 80 K, GtACR1 forms both stable K and L-like intermediates. Evidence includes the appearance of positive ethylenic and fingerprint vibrational bands characteristic of the L intermediate as well as a positive visible absorption band near 485 nm. FTIR difference bands in the carboxylic acid C═O stretching region indicate that several Asp/Glu residues undergo hydrogen bonding changes at 80 K. The Glu68 → Gln and Ser97 → Glu substitutions, residues located close to the retinylidene Schiff base, altered the K:L ratio and several of the FTIR bands in the carboxylic acid region. In the case of the Ser97 → Glu substitution, a significant red-shift of the absorption wavelength of the K and L intermediates occurs. Sequence comparisons suggest that L formation in GtACR1 at 80 K is due in part to the substitution of the highly conserved Leu or Ile at position 93 in helix 3 (BR sequence) with the homologous Met105 in GtACR1.

The Complexity of Fungal Vision

Life, as we know it, would not be possible without light. Light is not only a primary source of energy, but also an important source of information for many organisms. To sense light, only a few photoreceptor systems have developed during evolution. They are all based on an organic molecule with conjugated double bonds that allows energy transfer from visible (or UV) light to its cognate protein to translate the primary physical photoresponse to cell-biological actions. The three main classes of receptors are flavin-based blue-light, retinal-based green-light (such as rhodopsin), and linear tetrapyrrole-based red-light sensors. Light not only controls the behavior of motile organisms, but is also important for many sessile microorganisms including fungi. In fungi, light controls developmental decisions and physiological adaptations as well as the circadian clock. Although all major classes of photoreceptors are found in fungi, a good level of understanding of the signaling processes at the molecular level is limited to some model fungi. However, current knowledge suggests a complex interplay between light perception systems, which goes far beyond the simple sensing of light and dark. In this article we focus on recent results in several fungi, which suggest a strong link between light-sensing and stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Resonance Raman Study of an Anion Channelrhodopsin: Effects of Mutations near the Retinylidene Schiff Base

Optogenetics relies on the expression of specific microbial rhodopsins in the neuronal plasma membrane. Most notably, this includes channelrhodopsins, which when heterologously expressed in neurons function as light-gated cation channels. Recently, a new class of microbial rhodopsins, termed anion channel rhodopsins (ACRs), has been discovered. These proteins function as efficient light-activated channels strictly selective for anions. They exclude the flow of protons and other cations and cause hyperpolarization of the membrane potential in neurons by allowing the inward flow of chloride ions. In this study, confocal near-infrared resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS) along with hydrogen/deuterium exchange, retinal analogue substitution, and site-directed mutagenesis were used to study the retinal structure as well as its interactions with the protein in the unphotolyzed state of an ACR from Guillardia theta (GtACR1). These measurements reveal that (i) the retinal chromophore exists as an all-trans configuration with a protonated Schiff base (PSB) very similar to that of bacteriorhodopsin (BR), (ii) the chromophore RRS spectrum is insensitive to changes in pH from 3 to 11, whereas above this pH the Schiff base (SB) is deprotonated, (iii) when Ser97, the homologue to Asp85 in BR, is replaced with a Glu, it remains in a neutral form (i.e., as a carboxylic acid) but is deprotonated at higher pH to form a blue-shifted species, (iv) Asp234, the homologue of the protonated retinylidene SB counterion Asp212 in BR, does not serve as the primary counteranion for the protonated SB, and (v) substitution of Glu68 with an Gln increases the pH at which SB deprotonation is observed. These results suggest that Glu68 and Asp234 located near the SB exist in a neutral state in unphotolyzed GtACR1 and indicate that other unidentified negative charges stabilize the protonated state of the GtACR1 SB.

Proton transfers in a channelrhodopsin-1 studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis

Channelrhodopsin-1 from the alga Chlamydomonas augustae (CaChR1) is a low-efficiency light-activated cation channel that exhibits properties useful for optogenetic applications such as a slow light inactivation and a red-shifted visible absorption maximum as compared with the more extensively studied channelrhodopsin-2 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrChR2). Previously, both resonance Raman and low-temperature FTIR difference spectroscopy revealed that unlike CrChR2, CaChR1 under our conditions exhibits an almost pure all-trans retinal composition in the unphotolyzed ground state and undergoes an all-trans to 13-cis isomerization during the primary phototransition typical of other microbial rhodopsins such as bacteriorhodopsin (BR). Here, we apply static and rapid-scan FTIR difference spectroscopy along with site-directed mutagenesis to characterize the proton transfer events occurring upon the formation of the long-lived conducting P2 (380) state of CaChR1. Assignment of carboxylic C=O stretch bands indicates that Asp-299 (homolog to Asp-212 in BR) becomes protonated and Asp-169 (homolog to Asp-85 in BR) undergoes a net change in hydrogen bonding relative to the unphotolyzed ground state of CaChR1. These data along with earlier FTIR measurements on the CaChR1 → P1 transition are consistent with a two-step proton relay mechanism that transfers a proton from Glu-169 to Asp-299 during the primary phototransition and from the Schiff base to Glu-169 during P2 (380) formation. The unusual charge neutrality of both Schiff base counterions in the P2 (380) conducting state suggests that these residues may function as part of a cation selective filter in the open channel state of CaChR1 as well as other low-efficiency ChRs.

Pre-gating conformational changes in the ChETA variant of channelrhodopsin-2 monitored by nanosecond IR spectroscopy

Light-gated ion permeation by channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) relies on the photoisomerization of the retinal chromophore and the subsequent photocycle, leading to the formation (on-gating) and decay (off-gating) of the conductive state. Here, we have analyzed the photocycle of a fast-cycling ChR2 variant (E123T mutation, also known as ChETA), by time-resolved UV/vis, step-scan FT-IR, and tunable quantum cascade laser IR spectroscopies with nanosecond resolution. Pre-gating conformational changes rise with a half-life of 200 ns, silent to UV/vis but detected by IR spectroscopy. They involve changes in the peptide backbone and in the H-bond of the side chain of the critical residue D156. Thus, the P1(500) intermediate must be separated into early and late states. Light-adapted ChR2 contains a mixture of all-trans and 13-cis retinal in a 70:30 ratio which are both photoactive. Analysis of ethylenic and fingerprint vibrations of retinal provides evidence that the 13-cis photocycle recovers in 1 ms. This recovery is faster than channel off-gating and most of the proton transfer reactions, implying that the 13-cis photocycle is of minor functional relevance for ChR2.

Comparison of the structural changes occurring during the primary phototransition of two different channelrhodopsins from Chlamydomonas algae

Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) from green flagellate algae function as light-gated ion channels when expressed heterologously in mammalian cells. Considerable interest has focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of ChRs to bioengineer their properties for specific optogenetic applications such as elucidating the function of specific neurons in brain circuits. While most studies have used channelrhodopsin-2 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrChR2), in this work low-temperature Fourier transform infrared-difference spectroscopy is applied to study the conformational changes occurring during the primary phototransition of the red-shifted ChR1 from Chlamydomonas augustae (CaChR1). Substitution with isotope-labeled retinals or the retinal analogue A2, site-directed mutagenesis, hydrogen–deuterium exchange, and H₂¹⁸O exchange were used to assign bands to the retinal chromophore, protein, and internal water molecules. The primary phototransition of CaChR1 at 80 K involves, in contrast to that of CrChR2, almost exclusively an all-trans to 13-cis isomerization of the retinal chromophore, as in the primary phototransition of bacteriorhodopsin (BR). In addition, significant differences are found for structural changes of the protein and internal water(s) compared to those of CrChR2, including the response of several Asp/Glu residues to retinal isomerization. A negative amide II band is identified in the retinal ethylenic stretch region of CaChR1, which reflects along with amide I bands alterations in protein backbone structure early in the photocycle. A decrease in the hydrogen bond strength of a weakly hydrogen bonded internal water is detected in both CaChR1 and CrChR2, but the bands are much broader in CrChR2, indicating a more heterogeneous environment. Mutations involving residues Glu169 and Asp299 (homologues of the Asp85 and Asp212 Schiff base counterions, respectively, in BR) lead to the conclusion that Asp299 is protonated during P1 formation and suggest that these residues interact through a strong hydrogen bond that facilitates the transfer of a proton from Glu169.

Near-IR resonance Raman spectroscopy of archaerhodopsin 3: effects of transmembrane potential

Archaerhodopsin 3 (AR3) is a light driven proton pump from Halorubrum sodomense that has been used as a genetically targetable neuronal silencer and an effective fluorescent sensor of transmembrane potential. Unlike the more extensively studied bacteriorhodopsin (BR) from Halobacterium salinarum, AR3 readily incorporates into the plasma membrane of both E. coli and mammalian cells. Here, we used near-IR resonance Raman confocal microscopy to study the effects of pH and membrane potential on the AR3 retinal chromophore structure. Measurements were performed both on AR3 reconstituted into E. coli polar lipids and in vivo in E. coli expressing AR3 in the absence and presence of a negative transmembrane potential. The retinal chromophore structure of AR3 is in an all-trans configuration almost identical to BR over the entire pH range from 3 to 11. Small changes are detected in the retinal ethylenic stretching frequency and Schiff Base (SB) hydrogen bonding strength relative to BR which may be related to a different water structure near the SB. In the case of the AR3 mutant D95N, at neutral pH an all-trans retinal O-like species (O(all-trans)) is found. At higher pH a second 13-cis retinal N-like species (N(13-cis)) is detected which is attributed to a slowly decaying intermediate in the red-light photocycle of D95N. However, the amount of N(13-cis) detected is less in E. coli cells but is restored upon addition of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP) or sonication, both of which dissipate the normal negative membrane potential. We postulate that these changes are due to the effect of membrane potential on the N(13-cis) to M(13-cis) levels accumulated in the D95N red-light photocycle and on a molecular level by the effects of the electric field on the protonation/deprotonation of the cytoplasmic accessible SB. This mechanism also provides a possible explanation for the observed fluorescence dependence of AR3 and other microbial rhodopsins on transmembrane potential.

Conformational changes in the archaerhodopsin-3 proton pump: detection of conserved strongly hydrogen bonded water networks

Archaerhodopsin-3 (AR3) is a light-driven proton pump from Halorubrum sodomense, but little is known about its photocycle. Recent interest has focused on AR3 because of its ability to serve both as a high-performance, genetically-targetable optical silencer of neuronal activity and as a membrane voltage sensor. We examined light-activated structural changes of the protein, retinal chromophore, and internal water molecules during the photocycle of AR3. Low-temperature and rapid-scan time-resolved FTIR-difference spectroscopy revealed that conformational changes during formation of the K, M, and N photocycle intermediates are similar, although not identical, to bacteriorhodopsin (BR). Positive/negative bands in the region above 3,600 cm( - 1), which have previously been assigned to structural changes of weakly hydrogen bonded internal water molecules, were substantially different between AR3 and BR. This included the absence of positive bands recently associated with a chain of proton transporting water molecules in the cytoplasmic channel and a weakly hydrogen bonded water (W401), which is part of a hydrogen-bonded pentagonal cluster located near the retinal Schiff base. However, many of the broad IR continuum absorption changes below 3,000 cm( - 1) assigned to networks of water molecules involved in proton transport through cytoplasmic and extracellular portions in BR were very similar in AR3. This work and subsequent studies comparing BR and AR3 structural changes will help identify conserved elements in BR-like proton pumps as well as bioengineer AR3 to optimize neural silencing and voltage sensing.

Conformational changes of channelrhodopsin-2

Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) is a member of the new class of light-gated ion channels which serve as phototaxis receptors in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The protein is employed in optogenetics where neural circuits are optically stimulated under high spatiotemporal control. Despite its rapidly growing use in physiological experiments, the reaction mechanism of ChR2 is poorly understood. Here, we applied vibrational spectroscopy to trace structural changes of ChR2 after light-excitation of the retinal chromophore. FT-IR difference spectra of the various photocycle intermediates revealed that stages of the photoreaction preceding (P(1) state) and succeeding (P(4)) the conductive state of the channel (P(3)) are associated with large conformational changes of the protein backbone as indicate by strong differences in the amide I bands. Critical hydrogen-bonding changes of protonated carboxylic amino acid side chains (D156, E90) were detected and discussed with regard to the functional mechanism. We used the C128T mutant where the lifetime of P(3) is prolonged and applied FT-IR and resonance Raman spectroscopy to study the conductive P(3) state of ChR2. Finally, a mechanistic model is proposed that links the observed structural changes of ChR2 to the changes in the channel's conductance.

His-75 in proteorhodopsin, a novel component in light-driven proton translocation by primary pumps

Proteorhodopsins (PRs), photoactive retinylidene membrane proteins ubiquitous in marine eubacteria, exhibit light-driven proton transport activity similar to that of the well studied bacteriorhodopsin from halophilic archaea. However, unlike bacteriorhodopsin, PRs have a single highly conserved histidine located near the photoactive site of the protein. Time-resolved Fourier transform IR difference spectroscopy combined with visible absorption spectroscopy, isotope labeling, and electrical measurements of light-induced charge movements reveal participation of His-75 in the proton translocation mechanism of PR. Substitution of His-75 with Ala or Glu perturbed the structure of the photoactive site and resulted in significantly shifted visible absorption spectra. In contrast, His-75 substitution with a positively charged Arg did not shift the visible absorption spectrum of PR. The mutation to Arg also blocks the light-induced proton transfer from the Schiff base to its counterion Asp-97 during the photocycle and the acid-induced protonation of Asp-97 in the dark state of the protein. Isotope labeling of histidine revealed that His-75 undergoes deprotonation during the photocycle in the proton-pumping (high pH) form of PR, a reaction further supported by results from H75E. Finally, all His-75 mutations greatly affect charge movements within the PR and shift its pH dependence to acidic values. A model of the proteorhodopsin proton transport process is proposed as follows: (i) in the dark state His-75 is positively charged (protonated) over a wide pH range and interacts directly with the Schiff base counterion Asp-97; and (ii) photoisomerization-induced transfer of the Schiff base proton to the Asp-97 counterion disrupts its interaction with His-75 and triggers a histidine deprotonation.

Different structural changes occur in blue- and green-proteorhodopsins during the primary photoreaction

We examine the structural changes during the primary photoreaction in blue-absorbing proteorhodopsin (BPR), a light-driven retinylidene proton pump, using low-temperature FTIR difference spectroscopy. Comparison of the light-induced BPR difference spectrum recorded at 80 K to that of green-absorbing proteorhodopsin (GPR) reveals that there are several differences in the BPR and GPR primary photoreactions despite the similar structure of the retinal chromophore and all-trans --> 13-cis isomerization. Strong bands near 1700 cm(-1) assigned previously to a change in hydrogen bonding of Asn230 in GPR are still present in BPR. However, additional bands in the same region are assigned on the basis of site-directed mutagenesis to changes occurring in Gln105. In the amide II region, bands are assigned on the basis of total (15)N labeling to structural changes of the protein backbone, although no such bands were previously observed for GPR. A band at 3642 cm(-1) in BPR, assigned to the OH stretching mode of a water molecule on the basis of H2(18)O substitution, appears at a different frequency than a band at 3626 cm(-1) previously assigned to a water molecule in GPR. However, the substitution of Gln105 for Leu105 in BPR leads to the appearance of both bands at 3642 and 3626 cm(-1), indicating the waters assigned in BPR and GPR exist in separate distinct locations and can coexist in the GPR-like Q105L mutant of BPR. These results indicate that there exist significant differences in the conformational changes occurring in these two types proteorhodopsin during the initial photoreaction despite their similar chromophore structures, which might reflect a different arrangement of water in the active site as well as substitution of a hydrophilic for hydrophobic residue at residue 105.

The fungal opsin gene nop-1 is negatively-regulated by a component of the blue light sensing pathway and influences conidiation-specific gene expression in Neurospora crassa

We previously demonstrated that the nop-1 gene encodes a putative green-light opsin photoreceptor that is highly expressed in cultures that support asexual sporulation (conidiation) in Neurospora crassa. In this study, we demonstrate that nop-1 is a late-stage conidiation gene, through analysis of nop-1 transcript levels in wild-type strains and mutants blocked at various stages of conidiation. nop-1 message amounts are similar with constant illumination or darkness during conidiation, consistent with developmental, but not light, regulation of nop-1 expression. Furthermore, photoinduction experiments using wild type and mutants defective in components of the blue light sensing pathway (wc-1 and wc-2) indicate that nop-1 mRNA levels are not appreciably affected by brief light exposure during conidiation. Surprisingly, nop-1 message amounts are greatly elevated in wc-2 mutants in light or dark, suggesting that the wc-2 gene product regulates nop-1 expression in a light-independent manner. Analysis of expression patterns for al-2, con-10 and con-13, genes regulated by conidiation and/or blue light, showed that nop-1 has significant and reproducible effects on all three genes during various stages of conidiation. The results suggest that NOP-1 directly or indirectly modulates carotenogenesis and repression of conidiation-specific gene expression in N. crassa.

Structural basis of diversification of fungal retinal proteins probed by site-directed mutagenesis of Leptosphaeria rhodopsin

Numerous fungal genomes encode homologs of bacteriorhodopsin (BR), but only two fungal rhodopsins were overexpressed and characterized spectroscopically. Neurospora rhodopsin (NR) is a slow-cycling sensory rhodopsin-like protein, while Leptosphaeria rhodopsin (LR) is a BR-like proton pump. Recently, we found that a conservative replacement of the cytoplasmic proton donor Asp150 by Glu converts LR into an NR-like protein. In this work, we search for structural reasons for the dramatic differences in their photochemistry by mutating the hydrogen-bonding partner of Asp150 (Thr87) and three additional residues (Thr233, Asp248, and Gly271) selected by comparison of the primary structures of NR and LR. We conclude that while these residues may contribute to the differences between LR and NR, they are not crucial for the optimization of the Schiff base reprotonation by Asp150, and that the dramatic effect of the D150E mutation is not a simple result of the introduction of a bulkier glutamate sidechain.

Retinal biosynthesis in fungi: characterization of the carotenoid oxygenase CarX from Fusarium fujikuroi

The car gene cluster of the ascomycete Fusarium fujikuroi encodes two enzymes responsible for torulene biosynthesis (CarRA and CarB), an opsin-like protein (CarO), and a putative carotenoid cleaving enzyme (CarX). It was presumed that CarX catalyzes the formation of the major carotenoid in F. fujikuroi, neurosporaxanthin, a cleavage product of torulene. However, targeted deletion of carX did not impede neurosporaxanthin biosynthesis. On the contrary, DeltacarX mutants showed a significant increase in the total carotenoid content, indicating an involvement of CarX in the regulation of the pathway. In this work, we investigated the enzymatic activity of CarX. The expression of the enzyme in beta-carotene-accumulating Escherichia coli cells led to the formation of the opsin chromophore retinal. The identity of the product was proven by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Subsequent in vitro assays with heterologously expressed and purified CarX confirmed its beta-carotene-cleaving activity and revealed its capability to produce retinal also from other substrates, such as gamma-carotene, torulene, and beta-apo-8'-carotenal. Our data indicate that the occurrence of at least one beta-ionone ring in the substrate is required for the cleavage reaction and that the cleavage site is determined by the distance to the beta-ionone ring. CarX represents the first retinal-synthesizing enzyme reported in the fungal kingdom so far. It seems likely that the formed retinal is involved in the regulation of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway via a negative feedback mechanism.

Fungal photoreceptors: sensory molecules for fungal development and behaviour

Light regulates fungal development and behaviour and activates metabolic pathways. In addition, light is one of the many signals that fungi use to perceive and interact with the environment. In the ascomycete Neurospora crassa blue light is perceived by the white collar (WC) complex, a protein complex formed by WC-1 and WC-2. WC-1 is a protein with a flavin-binding domain and a zinc-finger domain, and interacts with WC-2, another zinc-finger domain protein. The WC complex operates as a photoreceptor and a transcription factor for blue-light responses in Neurospora. Proteins similar to WC-1 and WC-2 have been described in other fungi, suggesting a general role for the WC complex as a fungal receptor for blue light. The ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans uses red light perceived by a fungal phytochrome as a signal to regulate sexual and asexual development. In addition, other photoreceptors, rhodopsins and cryptochromes, have been identified in fungi, but their functional relevance has not been elucidated. The investigation of fungal light responses provides an opportunity to understand how fungi perceive the environment and to identify the mechanisms involved in the regulation by light of cellular development and metabolism.

Microbial rhodopsins: functional versatility and genetic mobility

The type 1 (microbial) rhodopsins are a diverse group of photochemically reactive proteins that span the three domains of life. Their broad phylogenetic distribution has motivated conjecture that rhodopsin-like functionality was present in the last common ancestor of all life. Here, we discuss the evolution of the type 1 microbial rhodopsins and document five cases of lateral gene transfer (LGT) between domains. We suggest that, thanks to the functional versatility of these retinylidene proteins and the relative ease with which they can complement the existing energy-generating or photosensory repertoires of many organisms, LGT is in fact the principal force that determines their broad but patchy distribution.

Conformational Changes in the Photocycle of Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin

Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) is a novel microbial rhodopsin recently discovered in the freshwater cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120. This protein most likely functions as a photosensory receptor as do the related haloarchaeal sensory rhodopsins. However, unlike the archaeal pigments, which are tightly bound to their cognate membrane-embedded transducers, ASR interacts with a soluble cytoplasmic protein analogous to transducers of animal vertebrate rhodopsins. In this study, infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the molecular mechanism of photoactivation in ASR. Light adaptation of the pigment leads to a phototransformation of an all-trans/15-anti to 13-cis/15-syn retinylidene-containing species very similar in chromophore structural changes to those caused by dark adaptation in bacteriorhodopsin. Following 532 nm laser-pulsed excitation, the protein exhibits predominantly an all-trans retinylidene photocycle containing a deprotonated Schiff base species similar to those of other microbial rhodopsins such as bacteriorhodopsin, sensory rhodopsin II, and Neurospora rhodopsin. However, no changes are observed in the Schiff base counterion Asp-75, which remains unprotonated throughout the photocycle. This result along with other evidence indicates that the Schiff base proton release mechanism differs significantly from that of other known microbial rhodopsins, possibly because of the absence of a second carboxylate group at the ASR photoactive site. Several conformational changes are detected during the ASR photocycle including in the transmembrane helices E and G as indicated by hydrogen-bonding alterations of their native cysteine residues. In addition, similarly to animal vertebrate rhodopsin, perturbations of the polar head groups of lipid molecules are detected.

Bacteriorhodopsin-like proteins of eubacteria and fungi: the extent of conservation of the haloarchaeal proton-pumping mechanism

A stereotypical image of a retinal-binding proton pump derived from extensive studies of halobacterial ion-transporting and sensory rhodopsins is a fast-cycling protein which possesses two strategically placed carboxylic acids serving as proton donor and acceptor for the retinal Schiff base. We review recent biophysical and bioinformatic data on the novel eubacterial and eucaryotic rhodopsins to analyze the extent of conservation of the haloarchaeal mechanism of transmembrane proton transport. We show that only the most essential elements of the haloarchaeal proton-pumping machinery are conserved universally, and that a mere presence of these elements in primary structures does not guarantee the proton-pumping ability.

Leptosphaeria rhodopsin: bacteriorhodopsin-like proton pump from a eukaryote

Bacteriorhodopsin-like proteins provide archaea and eubacteria with a unique bioenergetic pathway comprising light-driven transmembrane proton translocation by a single retinal-binding protein. Recently, homologous proteins were found to perform photosensory functions in lower eukaryotes, but no active ion transport by eukaryotic rhodopsins was detected. By demonstrating light-driven proton pumping in a fungal rhodopsin from Leptosphaeria maculans, we present a case of a retinal-based proton transporter from a eukaryote. This result implies that in addition to oxidative phosphorylation and chlorophyll photosynthesis, some lower eukaryotes may have retained the archaeal route of building an electrochemical transmembrane gradient of protons.

Conformational changes detected in a sensory rhodopsin II-transducer complex

Sensory rhodopsins (SRs) are light receptors that belong to the growing family of microbial rhodopsins. SRs have now been found in all three major domains of life including archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. One of the most extensively studied sensory rhodopsins is SRII, which controls a blue light avoidance motility response in the halophilic archaeon Natronobacterium pharaonis. This seven-helix integral membrane protein forms a tight intermolecular complex with its cognate transducer protein, HtrII. In this work, the structural changes occurring in a fusion complex consisting of SRII and the two transmembrane helices (TM1 and TM2) of HtrII were investigated by time-resolved Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy. Although most of the structural changes observed in SRII are conserved in the fusion complex, several distinct changes are found. A reduction in the intensity of a prominent amide I band observed for SRII indicates that its structural changes are altered in the fusion complex, possibly because of the close interaction of TM2 with the F helix, which interferes with the F helix outward tilt. Deprotonation of at least one Asp/Glu residue is detected in the transducer-free receptor with a pKa near 7 that is abolished or altered in the fusion complex. Changes are also detected in spectral regions characteristic of Asn and Tyr vibrations. At high hydration levels, transducer-fusion interactions lead to a stabilization of an M-like intermediate that most likely corresponds to an active signaling form of the transducer. These findings are discussed in the context of a recently elucidated x-ray structure of the fusion complex.