Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy of the bacteriorhodopsin mutant Tyr-185-->Phe: formation of a stable O-like species during light adaptation and detection of its transient N-like photoproduct

Photoreaction Pathways of Bacteriorhodopsin and Its D96N Mutant as Revealed by in Situ Photoirradiation Solid-State NMR

Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) functions as a light-driven proton pump that transitions between different states during the photocycle, such as all-trans (AT; BR568) and 13-cis, 15-syn (CS; BR548) state and K, L, M₁, M₂, N, and O intermediates. In this study, we used in situ photoirradiation ¹³C solid-state NMR to observe a variety of photo-intermediates and photoreaction pathways in [20-¹³C]retinal-WT-BR and its mutant [20-¹³C, 14-¹³C]retinal-D96N-BR. In WT-BR, the CS state converted to the CS* intermediate under photoirradiation with green light at −20 °C and consequently converted to the AT state in the dark. The AT state converted to the N intermediate under irradiation with green light. In D96N-BR, the CS state was converted to the CS* intermediate at −30 °C and consequently converted to the AT state. Simultaneously, the AT state converted to the M and L intermediates under green light illumination at −30 °C and subsequently converted to the AT state in the dark. The M intermediate was directly excited to the AT state by UV light illumination. We demonstrated that short-lived photo-intermediates could be observed in a stationary state using in situ photoirradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy for WT-BR and D96N-BR, enabling insight into the light-driven proton pump activity of BR.

Far-Red Absorbing Rhodopsins, Insights From Heterodimeric Rhodopsin-Cyclases

The recently discovered Rhodopsin-cyclases from Chytridiomycota fungi show completely unexpected properties for microbial rhodopsins. These photoreceptors function exclusively as heterodimers, with the two subunits that have very different retinal chromophores. Among them is the bimodal photoswitchable Neorhodopsin (NeoR), which exhibits a near-infrared absorbing, highly fluorescent state. These are features that have never been described for any retinal photoreceptor. Here these properties are discussed in the context of color-tuning approaches of retinal chromophores, which have been extensively studied since the discovery of the first microbial rhodopsin, bacteriorhodopsin, in 1971 (Oesterhelt et al., Nature New Biology, 1971, 233 (39), 149–152). Further a brief review about the concept of heterodimerization is given, which is widely present in class III cyclases but is unknown for rhodopsins. NIR-sensitive retinal chromophores have greatly expanded our understanding of the spectral range of natural retinal photoreceptors and provide a novel perspective for the development of optogenetic tools.

Proton-Binding Motifs of Membrane-Bound Proteins: From Bacteriorhodopsin to Spike Protein S

Membrane-bound proteins that change protonation during function use specific protein groups to bind and transfer protons. Knowledge of the identity of the proton-binding groups is of paramount importance to decipher the reaction mechanism of the protein, and protonation states of prominent are studied extensively using experimental and computational approaches. Analyses of model transporters and receptors from different organisms, and with widely different biological functions, indicate common structure-sequence motifs at internal proton-binding sites. Proton-binding dynamic hydrogen-bond networks that are exposed to the bulk might provide alternative proton-binding sites and proton-binding pathways. In this perspective article I discuss protonation coupling and proton binding at internal and external carboxylate sites of proteins that use proton transfer for function. An inter-helical carboxylate-hydroxyl hydrogen-bond motif is present at functionally important sites of membrane proteins from archaea to the brain. External carboxylate-containing H-bond clusters are observed at putative proton-binding sites of protonation-coupled model proteins, raising the question of similar functionality in spike protein S.

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.

Photoreaction pathways and photointermediates of retinal-binding photoreceptor proteins as revealed by in situ photoirradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Photoirradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful means to study photoreceptor retinal-binding proteins by the detection of short-lived photointermediates to elucidate the photoreaction cycle and photoactivated structural changes. An in situ photoirradiation solid-state NMR apparatus has been developed for the irradiation of samples with extremely high efficiency to enable observation of photointermediates which are stationary trapped states. Such observation enables elucidation of the photoreaction processes of photoreceptor membrane proteins. Therefore, in situ photoirradiation is particularly useful study the photocycle of retinal-binding proteins such as sensory rhodopsin I (SRI) and sensory rhodopsin II (SRII) because functional photointermediates have relatively longer half-lives than other photointermediates. As a result, several photointermediates have been trapped as stationary state and their detailed structures and photoreaction cycles have been revealed using photoirradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy at low temperature. Photoreaction intermediates of bacteriorhodopsin, which functions to provide light-driven proton pump activity, were difficult to trap because the half-lives of the photointermediates were shorter than those of sensory rhodopsin. Therefore, these photointermediates are trapped in a freeze-trapped state at a very low temperature and the NMR signals were observed using a combination of photoirradiation and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) experiments.

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.

Functional roles of tyrosine 185 during the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle as revealed by in situ spectroscopic studies

Tyrosine 185 (Y185), one of the aromatic residues within the retinal (Ret) chromophore binding pocket in helix F of bacteriorhodopsin (bR), is highly conserved among the microbial rhodopsin family proteins. Many studies have investigated the functions of Y185, but its underlying mechanism during the bR photocycle remains unclear. To address this research gap, in situ two-dimensional (2D) magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) of specifically labelled bR, combined with light-induced transient absorption change measurements, dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements, titration analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, was used to elucidate the functional roles of Y185 during the bR photocycle in the native membrane environment. Different interaction modes were identified between Y185 and the Ret chromophore in the dark-adapted (inactive) state and M (active) state, indicating that Y185 may serve as a rotamer switch maintaining the protein dynamics, and plays an important role in the efficient proton-pumping mechanism in the bR purple membrane.

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.

Characterization of photo-intermediates in the photo-reaction pathways of a bacteriorhodopsin Y185F mutant using in situ photo-irradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Photo-reaction pathways of a bacteriorhodopsin Y185F mutant were examined using in situ photo-irradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy. (13)C CP MAS NMR spectra were recorded at -40 °C in the dark (D1), under irradiation with 520 nm light (L1), subsequently in the dark (D2), and again under irradiation with 520 nm light (L2). In the process from D1 to L1, the 13-cis, 15-syn (CS; bR548) state changed to a CS*- (13-cis, 15-syn) intermediate, which was highly stable at -40 °C, and the all-trans (AT; bR568) state transformed to an N-intermediate. Under the D2 conditions, the N-intermediate transformed to an O-intermediate, which was highly stable at -40 °C in the dark. During subsequent irradiation with 520 nm light (L2), the O-intermediate transformed to the N-intermediate through the AT state, whereas the CS*-intermediate did not change. The CS*-intermediate was converted to the AT state (or O-intermediate) after the temperature was increased to -20 °C. Upon subsequent increase of the temperature to 20 °C, the AT state (or O-intermediate) was converted to the CS state until reaching equilibrium. In this experiment, the chemical shift values of [20-(13)C, 14-(13)C]retinal provided the 13C[double bond, length as m-dash]C and 15C[double bond, length as m-dash]N configurations, respectively. From these data, the configurations of the AT and CS states and the CS*-, N-, and O-intermediates were determined to be (13-trans, 15-anti), (13-cis, 15-syn), (13-cis, 15-syn), (13-cis, 15-anti), and (13-trans, 15-anti), respectively. (13)C NMR signals of the CS*- and O-intermediates were observed for the first time for the Y185F bR mutant by in situ photo-irradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy and the configuration of the CS*-intermediate was revealed to be significantly twisted from that of the CS state although both were assigned as (13-cis, 15-syn) configurations.

Channelrhodopsins: a bioinformatics perspective

Channelrhodopsins are microbial-type rhodopsins that function as light-gated cation channels. Understanding how the detailed architecture of the protein governs its dynamics and specificity for ions is important, because it has the potential to assist in designing site-directed channelrhodopsin mutants for specific neurobiology applications. Here we use bioinformatics methods to derive accurate alignments of channelrhodopsin sequences, assess the sequence conservation patterns and find conserved motifs in channelrhodopsins, and use homology modeling to construct three-dimensional structural models of channelrhodopsins. The analyses reveal that helices C and D of channelrhodopsins contain Cys, Ser, and Thr groups that can engage in both intra- and inter-helical hydrogen bonds. We propose that these polar groups participate in inter-helical hydrogen-bonding clusters important for the protein conformational dynamics and for the local water interactions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Retinal Proteins - You can teach an old dog new tricks.

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.

Raman spectroscopy reveals direct chromophore interactions in the Leu/Gln105 spectral tuning switch of proteorhodopsins

Proteorhodopsins are an extensive family of photoactive membrane proteins found in proteobacteria distributed throughout the world's oceans which are often classified as green- or blue-absorbing (GPR and BPR, respectively) on the basis of their visible absorption maxima. GPR and BPR have significantly different properties including photocycle lifetimes and wavelength dependence on pH. Previous studies revealed that these different properties are correlated with a single residue, Leu105 in GPR and Gln105 in BPR, although the molecular basis for the different properties of GPR and BPR has not yet been elucidated. We have studied the unexcited states of GPR and BPR using resonance Raman spectroscopy which enhances almost exclusively chromophore vibrations. We find that both spectra are remarkably similar, indicating that the retinylidene structure of GPR and BPR are almost identical. However, the frequency of a band assigned to the retinal C13-methyl-rock vibration is shifted from 1006 cm (-1) in GPR to 1012 cm (-1) in BPR. A similar shift is observed in the GPR mutant L105Q indicating Leu and Gln residues interact differently with the retinal C13-methyl group. The environment of the Schiff base of GPR and BPR differ as indicated by differences in the H/D induced down-shift of the Schiff base vibration. Residues located in transmembrane helices (D-G) do not contribute to the observed differences in the protein-chromophore interaction between BPR and GPR based on the Raman spectra of chimeras. These results support a model whereby the substitution of the hydrophilic Gln105 in BPR with the smaller hydrophobic Leu105 in GPR directly alters the environment of both the retinal C13 group and the Schiff base.

Propagating structural perturbation inside bacteriorhodopsin: crystal structures of the M state and the D96A and T46V mutants

The X-ray diffraction structure of the non-illuminated D96A bacteriorhodopsin mutant reveals structural changes as far away as 15 A from residue 96, at the retinal, Trp-182, Ala-215, and waters 501, 402, and 401. The Asp-to-Ala side-chain replacement breaks its hydrogen bond with Thr-46, and the resulting separation of the cytoplasmic ends of helices B and C is communicated to the retinal region through a chain of covalent and hydrogen bonds. The unexpected long-range consequences of the D96A mutation include breaking the hydrogen bond between O of Ala-215 and water 501 and the formation of a new hydrogen bond between water molecules 401 and 402 in the extracellular region. Because in the T46V mutant a new water molecule appears at Asp-96 and its hydrogen-bond to Ile-45 replaces Thr-46 as its link to helix B, the separation of helices B and C is smaller than that in D96A, and there are no atomic displacements elsewhere in the protein. Propagation of conformational changes along the chain between the retinal and Thr-46 had been observed earlier in the crystal structures of the D96N and E204Q mutants but in the trapped M state. Consistent with the perturbation of the retinal region in D96A, little change of the Thr-46 region occurs between the non-illuminated and M states of this mutant. It appears that a local perturbation can propagate along a track in both directions between the retinal and the Asp-96/Thr-46 pair, either from photoisomerization of the retinal in the wild-type protein in one case or from the D96A mutation in the other.

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.

Chloride ion binding to bacteriorhodopsin at low pH: an infrared spectroscopic study

Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and halorhodopsin (hR) are light-induced ion pumps in the cell membrane of Halobacterium salinarium. Under normal conditions bR is an outward proton transporter, whereas hR is an inward Cl- transporter. There is strong evidence that at very low pH and in the presence of Cl-, bR transports Cl- ions into the cell, similarly to hR. The chloride pumping activity of bR is connected to the so-called acid purple state. To account for the observed effects in bR a tentative complex counterion was suggested for the protonated Schiff base of the retinal chromophore. It would consist of three charged residues: Asp-85, Asp-212, and Arg-82. This quadruplet (including the Schiff base) would also serve as a Cl- binding site at low pH. We used Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy to study the structural changes during the transitions between the normal, acid blue, and acid purple states. Asp-85 and Asp-212 were shown to participate in the transitions. During the normal-to-acid blue transition, Asp-85 protonates. When the pH is further lowered in the presence of Cl-, Cl- binds and Asp-212 also protonates. The binding of Cl- and the protonation of Asp-212 occur simultaneously, but take place only when Asp-85 is already protonated. It is suggested that HCl is taken up in undissociated form in exchange for a neutral water molecule.

A local electrostatic change is the cause of the large-scale protein conformation shift in bacteriorhodopsin

During light-driven proton transport bacteriorhodopsin shuttles between two protein conformations. A large-scale structural change similar to that in the photochemical cycle is produced in the D85N mutant upon raising the pH, even without illumination. We report here that (i) the pKa values for the change in crystallographic parameters and for deprotonation of the retinal Schiff base are the same, (ii) the retinal isomeric configuration is nearly unaffected by the protein conformation, and (iii) preventing rotation of the C13-C14 double bond by replacing the retinal with an all-trans locked analogue makes little difference to the Schiff base pKa. We conclude that the direct cause of the conformational shift is destabilization of the structure upon loss of interaction of the positively charged Schiff base with anionic residues that form its counter-ion.

Perturbed interaction between residues 85 and 204 in Tyr-185-->Phe and Asp-85-->Glu bacteriorhodopsins

According to earlier reports, residue 85 in the bacteriorhodopsin mutants D85E and Y185F deprotonates with two apparent pKa values. Additionally, in Y185F, Asp-85 becomes significantly more protonated during light adaptation. We provide a new explanation for these findings. It is based on the scheme that links the protonation state of residue 85 to the protonation state of residue 204 (S.P. Balashov, E.S. Imasheva, R. Govindjee, and T.G. Ebrey. 1996. Biophys. J. 70:473-481; H.T. Richter, L.S. Brown, R. Needleman, and J.K. Lanyi. 1996. Biochemistry. 35:4054-4062) and justified by the observation that the biphasic titration curves of D85E and Y185F are converted to monophasic when the E204Q residue change is introduced as a second mutation. Accordingly, the D85E and Y 185F mutations are not the cause of the biphasic titration, as that is a property of the wild-type protein. By perturbing the extracellular region of the protein, the mutations increase the pKa of residue 85. This increases the amplitude of the second titration component and makes the biphasic character of the curves more obvious. Likewise, a small rise in the pKa of Asp-85 when the retinal isomerizes from 13-cis, 15-syn to all-trans accounts for the changed titration behavior of Y185F after light adaptation. This mechanism simplifies and unites the interpretation of what had appeared to be complex and unrelated phenomena.

Evidence that aspartate-85 has a higher pK(a) in all-trans than in 13-cisbacteriorhodopsin

Three experimental observations indicate that the pK(a) of the purple-to-blue transition (the pK(a) of Asp-85) is higher for all-trans-bR(1) than for 13-cis-bR. First, light adaptation of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) at pHs near the pK(a) of Asp-85 causes an increase in the fraction of the blue membrane present. This transformation is reversible in the dark. Second, the pK(a) of the purple-to-blue transition in the dark is lower than that in the light-adapted bR (pK(a)(DA) = 3.5, pK(a)(LA) = 3.8 in 10 microM K(2)SO(4)). Third, the equilibrium fractions of 13-cis and all-trans isomers are pH dependent; the fraction of all-trans-bR increases upon formation of the blue membrane. Based on the conclusion that thermal all-trans <=> 13-cis isomerization occurs in the blue membrane rather than in the purple, we have developed a simple model that accounts for all three observations. From the fit of experimental data we estimate that the pK(a) of Asp-85 in 13-cis-bR is 0.5 +/- 0.1 pK(a) unit less than the pK(a) of all-trans-bR. Thus in 10 microM K(2)SO(4), pK(a)(c) = 3.3, whereas pK(a)(t) = 3.8.

Protein conformational changes during the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. A Fourier transform infrared/resonance Raman study of the alkaline form of the mutant Asp-85-->Asn

Bacteriorhodopsin is a light-driven proton pump, which undergoes a photocycle consisting of several distinct intermediates. Previous studies have established that the M-->N step of this photocycle involves a major conformational change of membrane embedded alpha-helices. In order to further investigate this conformational change, we have studied the photocycle of the high pH form of the mutant Asp-85-->Asn (D85Nalk). In contrast to wild type bacteriorhodopsin, D85Nalk has a deprotonated Schiff base and a blue-shifted absorption near 410 nm, yet it still transports protons in the same direction as wild type bacteriorhodopsin (Tittor, J., Schweiger, U., Oesterhelt, D. and Bamberg, E. (1994) Biophys. J., 67, 1682-1690). Resonance Raman spectroscopy of D85Nalk and D85Nalk regenerated with retinal labeled at the C-15 position with deuterium reveals the existence of an all-trans configuration of the chromophore. Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy shows that the photocycle of this light-adapted form involves similar events as the wild type bacteriorhodopsin photocycle including the M-->N protein conformational change. These results help to explain the ability of D85Nalk to transport protons and demonstrate that the M-->N conformational change can occur even in the photocycle of an unprotonated Schiff base form of bacteriorhodopsin.

High-pressure near-infrared Raman spectroscopy of bacteriorhodopsin light to dark adaptation

Near-infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy is employed as an in situ probe of the chromophore conformation to study the light to dark-adaptation process in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) at variable pressure and temperature in the absence of undesired photoreactions. In dark-adapted bR deconvolution of the ethylenic mode into bands assigned to the all-trans (1526 cm-1) and 13-cis (1534 cm-1) isomers yields a 13-cis to all-trans ratio equal to 1 at ambient pressure (Schulte et al., 1995, Appl. Spectrosc. 49:80-83). Detailed spectroscopic evidence is presented that at high pressure the equilibrium is shifted toward the 13-cis isomers and that the light to dark adaptation kinetics is accelerated. The change in isomeric composition with temperature and pressure as well as the kinetics support a two-state model activation volumes of -16 ml/mol for the transition of 13-cis to all-trans and -22 ml/mol for the reverse process. These compare with a conformational volume difference of 6.6 ml/mol, which may be attributed to the ionization of one or two residues or the formation of three hydrogen bonds.

Site-directed isotope labeling and FTIR spectroscopy: assignment of tyrosine bands in the bR-->M difference spectrum of bacteriorhodopsin

Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy has been used extensively to probe structural changes in bacteriorthodopsin and other retinal proteins. However, the absence of a general method to assign bands to individual chemical groups in a protein has limited the application of this technique. While site-directed mutagenesis has been successful in special cases for such assignments, in general, this approach induces perturbations in the structure and function of the protein, thereby preventing unambiguous band assignments. A new approach has recently been reported (Sonar et al., Nature Struct. Biol. 1 (1994) 512-517) which involves cell-free expression of bacteriorhodopsin and site-directed isotope labeling (SDIL). We have now used this method to re-examine bands assigned in the bR-->M difference spectrum to tyrosine residues. Our results show that out of 11 tyrosines in bR, only Tyr 185 is structurally active. This work further demonstrates the power of SDIL and FTIR to probe conformational changes at the level of individual amino acid residues in proteins.

Proton translocation mechanism and energetics in the light-driven pump bacteriorhodopsin

In spite of many still unsolved problems, the mechanism and energetics of the light-driven proton transport are now basically understood. Energy captured during photoexcitation, and retained in the form of bond rotations and strains of the retinal, is transformed into directed changes in the pKa values of vectorially arranged proton transfer groups. The framework for the spatial and temporal organization of these changes is provided by the protein near the retinal Schiff base. The transport is completed by proton transfer among three essential groups in three domains lying roughly parallel with the membrane plane (Fig. 1): (a) the anionic D85 that is included in a complex of residues on the extracellular side containing also R82, D212, Y57 and bound water; (b) the protonated Schiff base; and (c) the protonated D96 that is included in a complex of residues on the cytoplasmic side containing also R227, T46, S226, and bound water. Other neighboring polar groups and water bound elsewhere which play a role in the transport do so either by further influencing the pKa values of the three protonable groups, or by providing passive pathways for proton transfer. The Schiff base proton, destabilized after photoexcitation, is transferred to the low pKa group D85 located on the extracellular side. The access of the deprotonated Schiff base then changes to the cytoplasmic side (the 'reprotonation switch') and its proton affinity increases. Finally, the proton of the high pKa group D96, with access to the cytoplasmic side, is destabilized by a protein conformational change through rearrangement of R227, T46, S226 and bound water, and becomes transferred to the Schiff base. As shown schematically in Fig. 3, these internal events are coupled to proton release and uptake at the two aqueous surfaces. The charge of the extracellular hydrogen-bonded complex is redistributed upon protonation of D85, and if the pH is above the pKa of the complex a proton is released to the bulk. After reprotonation of the Schiff base the pKa of the cytoplasmic hydrogen-bonded complex is raised well above the pH, and D96 regains a proton from the bulk. If the pH is lower than the pKa of the extracellular complex the proton release is delayed until the end of the photocycle. In either sequence there is net transfer of a proton from the cytoplasmic to the extracellular phase. The transfer of excess free energy from the chromophore to the protein, and finally to the transported proton, is described by a characteristic thermodynamic cycle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)