Spudich JL. The multitalented microbial sensory rhodopsins.
Trends Microbiol 2006;
14:480-7. [PMID:
17005405 DOI:
10.1016/j.tim.2006.09.005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2006] [Revised: 07/28/2006] [Accepted: 09/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sensory rhodopsins are photoactive, membrane-embedded seven-transmembrane helix receptors that use retinal as a chromophore. They are widespread in the microbial world in each of the three domains of life: Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. A striking characteristic of these photoreceptors is their different modes of signaling in different organisms, including interaction with other membrane proteins, interaction with cytoplasmic transducers and light-controlled Ca(2+) channel activity. More than two decades since the discovery of the first sensory rhodopsins in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum, genome projects have revealed a widespread presence of homologous photosensors. New work on cyanobacteria, algae, fungi and marine proteobacteria is revealing how evolution has modified the common design of these proteins to produce a remarkably rich diversity in their signaling biochemistry.
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