PROTON MOVEMENT ACCOMPANYING THE LIGHT-INDUCED ELECTRON TRANSFER IN THE CHLOROPHYLL-QUINONE SYSTEMS

Abstract— –Previous studies have shown that chlorophyll can either mediate proton ejection or uptake in the light sensitive chlorophyll- p -benzoquinone system. The present investigation is a detailed study of the effect of the following variables on these processes: pH, benzoquinone and chlorophyll concentration, and the presence of oxygen.     

PROPERTIES OF THE RETINAL BINDING SITE IN BACTERIORHODOPSIN. USE OF RETINOL AND RETINYL MOIETIES AS FLUORESCENT PROBES

Abstract— The fluorescence spectra of various reduced bacteriorhodopsin chromophore species indicate energy transfer from aromatic amino acid side chains of the protein to the retinyl moiety. Binding studies with retinol reveal that energy transfer occurs only when the retinyl moiety is bound in the chromophoric site of the protein. Retroretinol is a fluorescent probe for the binding site.     

SHAPE OF THE CHROMOPHOIW BINDING SITE IN pharaonis PHOBORHODOPSIN FROM A STUDY USING RETINAL ANALOGS

Abstract To investigate the shape of the chromophore binding site of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR), ppR-opsin was incubated with five ring-modified retinal analogs: an acyclic retinal, phenylretinal, α-retinal, cyclohexylretinal and 5-isopropyl-α-retinal. The experimental results were compared with those obtained from bacteriorhodopsin-opsin (bR-opsin) and the same retinal analogs. It was suggested that ring chain conformation is important in affecting the spectral shoulder unique for the absorption spectrum of ppR. The rate of pigment formation depended greatly on the analogs used with the planar analogs showing rapid formation. Thus, we concluded that the space of the retinal binding site of ppR is restricted to the plane of the cyclohexenyl ring of the chromophore, whereas that of bR is less restricted.     

LIGHT-INDUCED PERTURBATION OF AROMATIC RESIDUES IN BOVINE RHODOPSIN AND BACTERIORHODOPSIN*

Light-induced changes in the UV absorption spectrum of bovine rod outer segment membranes were measured by conventional difference spectroscopy and by flash photolysis methods. Different thermal intermediates of rhodopsin (lumirhodopsin, metarhodopsin I, metarhodopsin II, and meta-rhodopsin III) have absorption spectra in the ultraviolet which differ from the rhodopsin spectrum and from each other. The spectra associated with metarhodopsin I, metarhodopsin II, and metarhodopsin III are characteristic of perturbation of a small number of tyr. and/or trp residues, most likely one trp residue. These aromatic residues are in the neighborhood of the retinal Schiff base and undergo coordinated changes of interaction with retinal during the bleaching sequence. At the metarhodopsin II stage, the magnitude of the UV spectral changes is consistent with the exposure of a previously shielded trp residue to an aqueous environment. The present results are consistent with previous spectral studies which limit the extent of light-induced conformational changes to regions of the protein in the neighborhood of the retinal Schiff base. An analogous study was made on light-adapted purple membranes of Halobacterium halobium. The UV absorption spectrum associated with the deprotonated Schiff base intermediate of the trans-bacteriorhodopsin cycle is indicative, in part, of aromatic residue perturbation. However, significant changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of the bacterio-rhodopsin protein characteristic of a delocalized conformational change are unlikely at this intermediate stage.     

LIGHT-INDUCED PROTON DISSOCIATION AND ASSOCIATION IN BACTERIORHODOPSIN

Abstract— Light-induced proton release and uptake by acetylated and unmodified bacteriorhodopsin were measured. Bacteriorhodopsin, when illuminated, shows a net proton release at neutral and alkaline pH's, but in acidic pH, it shows an uptake of protons. In the presence of high concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride, light caused only proton release even in acidic pH and the maximum extent of the release was one proton per bacteriorhodopsin molecule around pH 8.
Acetylation of bacteriorhodopsin caused no alteration in the absorption spectrum of purple complex (bR₅₇₀) and M₄₁₂-intermediate, but decreased the decay rate of the M₄₁₂-intermediate. Light-induced release of protons was not observed even in neutral pH values, and only the proton uptake was noticed by acetylated purple membrane fragments. In high concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride, no proton uptake or release by illumination was observed. Vesicles were reconstituted from acetylated purple membrane. These vesicles had almost no ability for light-induced proton transport. The role of amino group(s) in light-induced proton release and transport through the purple membrane is discussed.     

2-羟基-1-氧基乙烯自由基(C2H3O2)的分子内质子转移反应的理论研究

用量子化学从头计算方法研究了2-羟基-1-氧基乙烯自由基的质子转移反应。首先, 在UHF/3-21G的水平上, 采用能量梯度法优化了反应物和过渡态的几何构型, 然后利用这两个优化的构型做了振动分析, 找出相应的振动频率和模式, 从而得到质子转移反应的活化熵值。此外, 又做了内禀反应坐标途径(IRC)。为了求得比较准确的反应势能剖面, 以便进行隧道效应校正, 用多体微扰法(二级微扰)同时在参加转移的氢原子上附加了扩散函数p(UMP_2/3-21G~+)在IRC的各点上进行能量校正。根据从以上计算结果拟合的抛物线势, 求出质子转移的隧道效应校正系数为19.9, 然后由过渡状态理论计算了此反应的比速常数为7.4×10~(11)s~(-1)。此外, 还得到了该自由基的分子内氢键键能和键长分别为19.2 kJ mol~(-1)和0.2057 nm(UMP_2/3-21G~+结果)。     

分子内电荷转移化合物的光谱和光物理

近年来,分子内电荷转移化合物光物理行为的研究受到了广泛的注意,这是由于这类化合物分子的发光性能强烈地受其周围溶剂性质的影响.它们常被考虑作为研究溶剂-溶质间相互作用以及溶剂分子弛豫的有效探针化合物.Loutfy等曾对被束缚的及未被束缚的N,N-二甲基氨基苄叉二腈类化合物的光物理行为作过详细研究.指出它们的荧光量子产率和该类化合物分子的刚性以及和母体环境的粘度、温度及物理化学性质等密切有关,它们     

PROTON TRANSFER IN THE PRIMARY PROCESS OF VISION

Abstract— Proton transfer was theoretically examined as a possible primary process of vision. The motion of protons in the adiabatic potential of the Schiff base hydrogen bond was investigated in terms of quantum mechanics. The probability of proton transfer from the Schiff base nitrogen (i.e. the unprotonation of Schiff base) was found to increase as the retinal rotated around 11–12. double bond by 90°. The results also suggested that the proton transfer can take place before or during the transition from the excited to ground state (excited state proton transfer). We proposed that such excited state proton transfer is one of the elementary processes in primary visual photochemistry, and this process leads to the unprotonated visual pigment, hyposorhodopsin, which has been experimentally verified as one of the primary photoproducts of rhodopsin. The probability of this process could be comparable to the conventional process leading to the protonated intermediate, bathorhodopsin. The relation of these results with the recent experimental data is discussed.     

INTRAMOLECULAR ENERGY TRANSFER IN NATIVE tRNA AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Abstract— The odd nucleoside 4-thiouridine, which is present in position 8 of 70% of E. coli tRNAs, possesses unusual spectroscopic properties which make it suitable for intramolecular energy transfer studies. Both its luminescence excitation spectrum and the action spectrum (230–380 nm) for the 8–13 link formation have been established in native E. coli tRNA at room temperature. The spectra are identical and present a new unexpected peak around 260 nm. At this wavelength, they are amplified by a factor of nine as compared with the absorption and excitation spectra of the free nucleoside in aqueous solution.
The origin of this new peak is discussed and it is concluded that energy transfer does occur from the common nucleosides to the 4-thiouridine residue. Using the values of the nucleosides to 4-thiouridine distances inferred from the sets of atomic coordinates obtained on yeast tRNA^phe crystals, a satisfactory account of our finding can be obtained assuming singlet-singlet energy transfer. The efficiency of the mechanism is probably favoured by a good overlap between the emission spectra of the common nucleosides and the absorption spectrum of 4-thiouridine.     

LIGHT-INDUCED CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN CATTLE RHODOPSIN AS PROBED BY MEASUREMENTS OF THE INTEFFACE POTENTIAL

Abstract— A novel technique of capacitative coupling of oriented rhodopsin at a polar/apolar interface allows the time resolved investigation of conformational changes following a flash. Electric signals arise as a consequence of changes of the interface potential. A signal occurring within milliseconds behaves like the R₂-phase of the "early receptor potential" (= ERP). This response is interpreted as a conformational change of rhodopsin. No correlation of this signal is found to the spectroscopically defined metarhodopsin I-metarhodopsin II transition.
The temperature dependence of the conformational change coincides with the temperature dependence of the latency of the 'a-wave' of the electroretinogram, reported by Arden and Ikeda (1968). It is suggested that the command step of visual excitation is the conformational change and not one of the spectroscopically defined photolysis steps of rhodopsin.
Analysis of slower electrical signals following the fast response is in accordance with the model of a light-induced pore formation.     

CuTSPc分子膜/p-Si(111)界面的光致电荷转移及其机制研究

本文利用L-B技术,在p-Si(111)基底上铺展了单层厚度只有6Å的CuTSPc超薄分子膜(简称超分子膜)和具有C₁₈脂链间隙的CuTSPc L-B膜两种膜系,首次观察到了CuTSPc分子膜在这种特定界面中的表面光电压谱。并且发现,当CuTSPc仅为一个单分子层时,这两种膜系的表面光伏效应最强。我们的研究结果表明,只有紧邻半导体基底的一个单分子层厚度的染料分子对光致界面电荷转移起关键作用。最后在实验上证实这种电荷转移是电荷直接注入机制,而非间接注入机制。     

ON THE TYROSINATE INVOLVEMENT IN THE SCHIFF BASE DEPROTONATION IN THE PROTON PUMP CYCLE OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN

Abstract— The ultraviolet transient absorption assigned to the tyrosinate species in bacteriorhodopsin is followed in time and as a function of pH. Both its rise time and titration curve closely resemble those observed for the production of the M₄₁₂ intermediate. These results may support a recently proposed mechanism that couples tyrosinate production to the Schiff base deprotonation in the proton pump of bacteriorhodopsin.     

CONFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE RHODOPSIN CHROMOPHORE USING BICYCLIC RETINAL ANALOGUES

Abstract— For investigation of the chromophore conformation around the trimethyl cyclohexene ring and of the origin of the induced β-circular dichroism band in rhodopsin, two C₆-C₇ single bond-fixed retinal analogues, 6s-cb- and 6s-trans-locked bicyclic retinals (6 and 7, respectively) were synthesized and incorporated into bovine opsin in CHAPS-PC mixture. 6s-cb- and 6s-tram-Locked rhodopsin analogues (8 and 9 ) with A max at 539 and 545 nm, respectively, were formed. Interestingly, both 8 and 9 displayed α- and β-circular dichroism bands. The ellipticity of α-bands are similar in each other, while the β-band of 8 was about three times stronger than that of 9. Irradiation of 6s-trans-locked rhodopsin, 9, in the presence of hyroxylamine, resulted in the formation of only one of the enantiomers of 6s-rrans-locked retinal oxime showing a positive circular dichroism signal at around 390 nm. This fact strongly suggests that the retinal binding site of rhodopsin shows a chiral discrimination. From these experimental results, the interactions between the trimethyl cyclohexene ring portion in the chromophore and the neighbouring protein moiety in the rhodopsin molecule are discussed.     

FORMATION AND DECAY KINETICS OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN'S N INTERMEDIATE: SOFTENING THE PROTEIN CONFORMATION WITH ALCOHOLS AFFECTS INTRA-PIROTEIN PROTON TRANSFER AND RETINAL ISIOMERIZATION

Abstract— The trans photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin was investigated in the presence of organic solvents with a hydrogen-bonding group; i.e . methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and so on. These alcohols scarcely or only slightly affected the L→M and O₅₇₀ transitions, but they perturbed the M→N and N→O transitions greatly. The rate of the M→N transition increased linearly with increasing alcohol concentration and, at maximal alcohol concentrations under which the native protein conformation was retained, the M→N transition was accelerated by a factor of ∼5. This alcohol effect was reversible. It is suggested that a long-distance proton transfer involved in the M→N transition (Asp.96→retinal) becomes easier when the protein conformation is softened bv partially breaking hydrogen-bonding networks in the protein. Another significant effect of alochol is inhibition of the N→O transition at weakly acidic pH, which was slowed down maximally by a factor of ˜10. This alcohol effect was less significant at alkaline pH, where reprotonation of Asp-96 from the cytoplasmic membrane surface is a rate-limiting reaction. It is suggested that, at acidic pH, thi: cis-to-trans isomerization involved in the N→O transition is a rate-limiting reaction and that this step is inhibited in the presence of a high concentration of alcohols.     

ABSORPTION SPECTRA OF TCA-DENATURED RHODOPSIN AND OF A SCHIFF BASE COMPOUND OF RETINAL

Abstract— When TCA-denatured rhodopsin was frozen in liquid nitrogen, Λ_max was markedly shifted to longer wavelengths as the concentration of TCA increased. After TCA denaturation, species specific absorption disappeared and the absorption maxima of the squid pigments became identical with those of corresponding pigments of octopus.
In solutions at 5° the bathochromic shift of Λ_max of TCA denatured rhodopsin was observed at higher concentrations of TCA than in the frozen state. Λ_max of N-retinylidene-butylamine (NRB) was also displaced towards longer wavelengths with increasing concentrations of TCA. This bathochromic shift was enhanced by freezing. The mode of the bathochromic shift of Λ_max provoked by TCA was very similar both in the cases of denatured rhodopsin and of NRB. The absorption spectrum of NRB was identical in shape with that of TCA-denatured rhodopsin, as the half-band widths of both materials were about 5500 cm^-1 in the liquid state and 5000 cm^-1 in the frozen state. Λ_max of retinal and NRB were red shifted in polar and polarizable solvents.
It was concluded that the strong acidity and the relatively large polarizability of TCA are responsible for the bathochromic shift of Λ_max of the Schiff base in TCA-denatured rhodopsin.     

以共价键相连的卟啉-酞菁化合物分子内能量传递及光诱导电子转移

合成了叶啉与酞菁以共价键连接起来的双发色团分子。测定了它们的吸收光谱,荧光光谱,荧光寿命等。计算了分子内能量传递过程的效率(φ_EnT)及速率常数(κ_EnT)。结果表明:在稀溶液中,卟啉与酞菁等克分子混合时,观察不到分子间能量传递过程现象的发生;而双发色团分子的分子内能量传递过程则明显发生了,其效率(φ_EnT=13～70%)与速率常数(κ_EnT=1.2×10⁷～2.0×10⁸s^-1)取决于分子的结构类型。电子转移与能量传递过程与介质性质有关。在极性溶剂中有利于电子转移过程的进行,而不利于能量传递过程;在非极性溶剂中,则有利于能量传递过程的进行,而不利于电子转移。 选择性激发酞菁发色团,观测到了只有电子转移发生的过程,其电子转移效率达到38%。     

SENSITIZATION OF THE PHOSPHORESCENCE OF INDOLE THROUGH INTRAMOLECULAR ENERGY TRANSFER FROM THE TRIPLET STATE OF COVALENTLY LINKED ACETOPHENONE IN RIGID MEDIA AT 77 K

Abstract— In an attempt to study the quenching of the triplet state of acetophenone by indole, we have prepared the compounds containing these chromophores intramolecularly. The emission measurements in rigid glasses at 77 K have indicated that the quenching of the triplet acetophenone is due to intramolecular triplet-triplet energy transfer to the indole chromophore, resulting in the sensitization of the indole phosphorescence. The efficiency of the energy transfer has reached ca. 100% in ethanol glasses, while it has been suggested that in methylcyclohexane glasses, the indole chromophore except for 1-methyl derivative is subjected to strong interaction with the acetophenone chromophore other than electronic energy transfer.     

A PROTON RELEASE SITE ON THE C-TERMINAL SIDE OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN

We have studied the pH dependence of the light-induced proton release and uptake by bacteriorhodopsin. The quantum efficiency of proton release in cell envelopes and proton uptake in phospholipid vesicles is high in the low pH range and begins to decline between pH 6 and 7 in cell envelopes and between pH 7–8 in phospholipid vesicles. In the cell envelope vesicles the proton release increases again above pH 8–8.5; in phospholipid vesicles a proton release is observed before proton uptake at pHs greater than 9. We suggest that the light-induced proton release observed at high pHs are due to protons released and rebound on the carboxyl terminal side of bacteriorhodopsin.     

PHOTOLYSIS OF RHODOPSIN RESULTS IN DEPROTONATION OF ITS RETINAL SCHIFF''S BASE PRIOR TO FORMATION OF METARHODOPSIN II

Absorption changes following photolysis of bovine rhodopsin in mildly sonicated membrane suspensions are monitored at 25 degrees C. Difference spectra collected at 17 times between 1 microsecond and 75 ms following excitation are analyzed globally using singular value decomposition and non-linear least-squares fitting techniques. The results are not consistent with the simple scheme: Lumirhodopsin-->Metarhodopsin I<-->Metarhodopsin II, but indicate that an intermediate with a deprotonated Schiff's base is formed nearly simultaneously with metarhodopsin I upon the decay of Lumirhodopsin.     

DIMENSIONAL PROBING OF THE ATP BINDING SITE ON FIREFLY LUCIFERASE

Abstract— lin -Benzoadenosine 5'-triphosphate has been shown to be an acceptable substrate for light production in the firefly luciferase-luciferin system. This nucleotide analogue displays strong enzyme binding and a reduced rate of enzyme catalysis compared with ATP. Variation in the color of the bioluminescence emission with /in-benzo-ATP compared with ATP suggests that a lateral extension in the purine base induces a change in the conformation of the luciferase and in the environment of the excited light emitter.