An Azulenic Bacteriorhodopsin Analog Has Photoinduced Activity

Abstract— The photoinduced changes of absorbance as well as proton release and uptake have been observed for an azulenic analog of wild-type bacteriorhodopsin. The release and uptake of protons have been measured using a highly sensitive electrochemical technique. Bacteriorhodopsin membrane patches on a tin-oxide electrode produce a transient photocurrent that is negative for proton release and positive for proton uptake. For azulenic bacteriorhodopsin the photocurrent is approximately 20% of the transient observed with native bacteriorhodopsin. The existence of the photoinduced absorbance changes and the transient photocurrent are important results for gaining further insight into the photoinduced function of bacteriorhodopsin.