Postillumination adenosine triphosphate synthesis in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores. I. Conditions for maximal yields.

The very low level of postillumination ATP synthesis in chromatophores was markedly stimulated when permeant anions (thiocyanate or perchlorate) or permeant cations (potassium in the presence of valinomycin) were added to the light stage. Although these compounds stimulated also light-induced proton uptake in chromatophores the pH dependence of both photoreactions was different. Proton uptake peaked at pH 6.5 while the amount of postillumination ATP was maximal when the light stage was carried out around pH 7.7. The increased yield of ATP at the more alkaline pH could not be explained by a slower decay of the high energy state at this pH, since the decay rate was faster at pH 7.7 than at pH 6.5. The proton concentration gradient which is maintained across the chromatophore membrane in the light was also found to increase when the external pH was raised from 6.0 to 8.0. Only a minimal amount of postillumination ATP was formed when this gradient was below 2.1 pH units, but above this value the ATP yield rose steeply as a function of the increasing pH gradient. In light of these results it is suggested that in order to obtain a high yield of postillumination ATP synthesis in chromatophores two conditions are required: the particles have to be loaded with a sufficient number of protons and a light-induced pH gradient above a certain threshold value has to be maintained across their membrane. The low yield of postillumination ATP in chromatophores and the increase obtained by adding permeating ions, is thus explained by similar variations in the extent of the pH gradient, which exceeded the threshold value only in the presence of the permeating ions.     

Light-induced pH changes and changes in absorbance of pH indicators in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores.

1. The light-induced pH change of chromatophore suspensions from Rhodospirillum rubrum was stimulated significantly and similarly by KCl, NaCl, LiCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, MnCl2, and CaCl2. In the dark, the pH of chromatophore suspensions decreased immediately and markedly on adding these salts. 2. The light-induced pH change stimulated by KCl plus valinomycin was inhibited by LiCl and NaCl, but not by RbCl. 3. The optimum pH values for light-induced pH change and photosynthetic ATP formation were around 5 and 8, respectively. The amount of chromatophore-bound ubiquinone-10 reduced in the light was independent of pH from 5 to 9. At pH 8, the number of protons incorporated into chromatophores in the light was one-half of the number of ubiquinone-10 molecules reduced in the light. 4. Among several pH indicators tested, bromothymol blue (BTB) and neutral red (NR) showed absorbance changes on illumination of chromatophores. Although the pH change indicated by the absorbance change was opposite to the light-induced pH change of the medium, the effect of KCl on the absorbance changes of BTB and NR, and the effect of valinomycin on that of NR, but not on that of BTB, were similar to those on the light-induced pH change. 5. The light-induced absorbance change of BTB was significantly inhibited by NR, whereas that of NR was hardly influenced by BTB. 6. Oligomycin stimulated the light-induced absorbance change of BTB under either non-phosphorylating or phosphorylating conditions. On the other hand, that of NR under phosphorylating conditions was 50% of that under non-phosphorylating conditions, and was increased by oligomycin.     

Measurement by a flow dialysis technique of the steady-state proton-motive force in chromatophores from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Comparison with phosphorylation potential.

1. In the light a transmembrane electrical potential of 100 mV has been estimated to occur in chromatophores from Rhodospirillum rubrum. The potential was determined by measuring the steady-state distribution of the permeant SCN- across the chromatophore membrane using a flow dialysis technique. The potential was not observed in the dark, nor in the presence of antimycin. It was dissipated on the addition of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone. The potential was reduced by between 15 and 20 mV when ADP and Pi were added. Hydrolysis of ATP by the chromatophores generated a membrane potential of about 80 mV. 2. Using a flow dialysis technique light-dependent uptake of methylamine was observed only in the presence of concentrations of SCN- that were 500-fold higher than were used to measure the membrane potential. It is concluded that the pH gradient across the illuminated chromatophore membrane is insignificant except in the presence of relatively high concentrations of a permeant anion like thiocyanate. Further evidence that a negligible pH gradient was generated by the chromatophores is that addition of K+ and nigericin to illuminated chromatophores did not stimulate uptake of SCN-. 3. In the light of chromatophores established and maintained a phosphorylation potential of up to 14 kcal/mol. If a phosphorylation potential of this magnitude is to be poised against a proton-motive force that comprises solely a membrane potential of approx. 100 mV, then at least five protons must be translocated for each ATP synthesised via a chemiosmotic mechanism.     

ATP synthesis in chromatophores driven by artificially induced ion gradients

An electrochemical potential difference for protons (delta mu H+) across the membrane of bacterial chromatophores was induced by an artificially generated pH difference (delta pH) and a K+/valinomycin diffusion potential, delta phi. The initial rate of ATP synthesis was measured with a rapid-mixing quenched-flow apparatus in the time range between 70 ms and 30 s after the acid-base transition. The rate of ATP synthesis depends exponentially on delta pH. Increasing diffusion potentials shift the delta pH dependency to lower delta pH values. Diffusion potentials were calculated from the Goldman equation. Using estimated permeability coefficients, the rate of ATP synthesis depends only on the electrochemical potential difference of protons irrespective of the relative contribution of delta pH and delta phi.     

Potassium-stimulated ATPase activity and hydrogen transport in gastric microsomal vesicles.

The Mg2+-dependent, K+-stimulated ATPase of microsomes from pig gastric mucosa has been studied in relation to observed active H+ transport into vesicular space. Uptake of fluorescent dyes (acridine orange and 9-aminoacridine) was used to monitor the generated pH gradient. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy showed that the vesicular gastric microsomes have an asymmetric distribution of intramembraneous particles (P-face was particulate; E-face was relatively smooth. Valinomycin stimulated both dye uptake and K+-ATPase (valinomycin-stimulated K+-ATPase); stimulation by valinomycin was due to increased K+ entry to some intravesicular activating site, which in turn depends upon the accompanying anion. Using the valinomycin-stimulated K+-ATPase and H+ accumulation as an index, the sequence for anion permeation was NO-3 greater than Br- greater than Cl- greater than I- greater than acetate approximately isethionate. When permeability to both K+ and H+ was increased (e.g using valinomycin plus a protonophore or nigericin), stimulation of K+-ATPase was much less dependent on the anion and the observed dissipation of the vesicular pH gradient was consistent with an 'uncoupling' of ATP hydrolysis from H+ accumulation. Thiocyanate interacts with valinomycin inhibiting the typical action of the K+ ionophore. But stimulation of ATPase activity was seen by adding 10 mM SCN- to membranes preincubated with valinomycin. From the relative activation of the valinomycin-stimulated K+-ATPase, it appears that SCN- is a very permeant anion which can be placed before NO-3 in the sequence of permeation. Valinomycin-stimulated ATPase and H+ uptake showed similar dependent correlations, including: dependence on [ATP] and [K+], pH optima, temperature activation, and selective inhibition by SH- or NH2-group reagents. These results are consistent with a pump-leak model for the gastric microsomal K+-ATPase which was simulated using Nernst-Planck conditions for passive pathways and simple kinetics for the pump. The pump is a K+/H+ exchange pump requiring K+ at an internal site. Rate of K+ entry would depend on permeability to K+ as well as the counterion, either (1) the anion to accompany K+ or (2) the H+ efflux path as an exchange ion. The former leads to net accumulation of H+ and anion, while the latter results in non-productive stimulation of ATP hydrolysis.     

The extent of the stimulated electrical potential decay under phosphorylating conditions and the H+/ATP ratio in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides chromatophores following short flash excitation.

1. In chromatophores from Rps. sphaeroides, the stimulation by ADP and Pi of the electric potential decay indicated by the carotenoid shift is greater than the stimulation of the decay of pH change indicated by the colour change of added cresol red under similar conditions. This difference is attributed to H+ consumption during the synthesis of ATP. The ratio of H+ translocated across the membrane to ATP synthesized was estimated to be approximately 1.7 H+/ATP. 2. The stimulation of the electrical potential decay by ADP and Pi was found to be a constant fraction (10%) of the total decay when the flash intensity was varied. No 'critical' or 'threshold' potential was observed. 3. The stimulated electrical potential decay after a second flash, given within a few seconds of the first, was related to the amplitude of the electrical potential produced by the second flash (10%) but neither to the dark time between the flashes, nor to the total extent of the electrical potential above the dark level. These results are consistent with two hypotheses (a) the chromatophores are a mixed population of vesicles, only a small fraction (10%) of which possess an active ATP synthesizing system (b) the activity of the ATP synthesizing system, though driven by a proton motive force, is controlled by electron transport processess. If alternative (a) is correct then the overall single turnover flash yield of 1 ATP per 1470 bacteriochlorophyll measured in (1) would mean that the yield of the active vesicles is approximately 10 ATP per 1470 bacteriochlorophyll or 30 ATP per vesicle. 4. The stimulation of the electrical potential decay by ADP and Pi is approximately 40% less in antimycin-treated chromatophores. It is shown that this is probably a consequence of antimycin-inhibited H+-release on the inside of the chromatophore vesicles following a flash.     

Electrochemical gradients and energy coupling in photosynthetic bacteria

The electrochemical proton gradient formed during light-induced electron transport in bacterial chromatophores is composed of both a proton concentration gradient and a membrane potential that can interchange under appropriate conditions. Both components, whether light-induced or imposed artificially in the dark, can drive ATP synthesis.     

Comparison of the electrochemical proton gradient and phosphate potential maintained by Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores in the steady state.

A technique for the estimation of light-induced membrane potential in chromatophores is described. It is based on measurement of light-induced enhancement in fluorescence of 8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonic acid, which is calibrated by known K⁺ diffusion potentials. The electrochemical proton gradient (Δ_μH+^?) formed during lightinduced electron transport in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores amounts to 250 mV, which is almost equally distributed between the membrane potential and the pH gradient as measured by changes in the fluorescence of anilinonaphthalene sulfonate and 9-amino acridine. Addition of the permeant anion, NaSCN, or of NH₄Cl reduces the overall Δ_μH+^? by less than 20% but changes its distribution between the pH gradient and the membrane potential so that with NaSCN it is composed mainly of the first and with NH₄Cl mainly of the second. Initiation of phosphorylation causes a drop of about 50 mV in the measured Δ_μH+^?. In the absence of salts, the drop is observed in both components, although two-thirds of it are reflected in the membrane potential. In the presence of NaSCN or NH₄Cl the 50-mV drop is exclusively recorded in the pH gradient or in the membrane potential, respectively. The steady-state phosphate potential maintained during electron transport was found to change in parallel to the Δ_μH+^?, but exceeded it by 60 to 80 mV when based on a stoichiometry of two protons translocated per ATP synthesized.     

Effects of permeant buffers on the initiation of photosynchronous phosphorylation and postillumination phosphorylation in chloroplasts

Under canonical chemiosmotic formulations, the development of a delocalized transmembrane proton gradient should precede and, in the absence of a membrane potential, should account for all the capacity of an energy transducing system to synthesize ATP. Furthermore, any agents, such as permeant proton-absorbing buffers, that slow down the kinetics of the development of this gradient should, consequently, delay ATP synthesis. We have studied the very early (0 through 1000 ms) steps of photosynthetic ATP synthesis utilizing real-time, rapid flow-quench techniques. We have investigated the effect(s) that permeant buffers exert on this process where these buffers show no uncoupling effects, and the transmembrane potential has been collapsed by valinomycin and K+. Experimentally this system was dissected into two ATP synthesizing components, as follows: synthesis of ATP strictly concomitant with light influx and unaffected by the addition of permeant buffers. We refer to this as photosynchronous phosphorylation and synthesis of ATP monitored after the light was extinguished and which was greatly diminished by the addition of proton-absorbing permeant buffers, thus exhibiting the characteristics of conventional postillumination phosphorylation, and we suggest that it represents part of capacitance phosphorylation. The potential for capacitance phosphorylation initiates very rapidly under light and gradually builds up to steady-state level, and it is governed by canonical chemiosmotic principles. We estimate that its contribution to overall ATP yield is minimal during the first few cycles of the system and that it increases gradually towards steady state when it contributes to the majority of ATP synthesized. Neither a delocalized transmembrane proton gradient nor a strictly localized intramembrane proton pathway can account for these observations so we have proposed that a gating mechanism exists which delivers intramembrane protons initially directly to the ATP synthetase complex but subsequently to the lumen as well, and thus, allows the lumen to act as a capacitor during the steady state. This study can reconcile the findings of Ort et al. (Ort, D. R., Dilley, R. A., and Good, N. E. (1976) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 449, 108-124) with the contrasting findings of Vinkler et al. (Vinkler, C., Avron, M., and Boyer, P. D. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 2263-2266) through the opposite effects which osmotic strength and KCl concentration exert on the two ATP synthetic phases (during and after illumination) of the rapid flash technique used in those studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The influence of energy-transfer inhibitors on proton permeability and photophosphorylation in normal and preilluminated Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores.

(1) Chromatophores were preilluminated in the presence of phenazine methosulphate or diaminodurene, and without phosphorylation substrates; next they were transferred to fresh medium and assayed for light-induced proton uptake, light-induced 9-aminoacridin fluorescence quenching, and photophosphorylation. (2) Preillumination in the presence of phenazine methosulphate or diaminodurene causes an inhibition of the photophosphorylation rate. The presence of ADP + MgCl2 + phosphate, or ADP + MgCl2 + arsenate during preillumination provides full protection against this effect. (3) Preilluminated chromatophores are leaky for protons. The leak is expressed as an accelerated dark decay, and a diminished extent of succinate-supported, light-induced proton uptake. The extent of light-induced 9-aminoacridin fluorescence quenching is also diminished. (4) The proton leak can be closed by oligomycin and by dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (at concentrations similar to those used to inhibit photophosphorylation), but not by aurovertin. Closure of the proton leak results in partial restoration of the photophosphorylation rate. (5) The inhibition of phosphorylation by oligomycin or dicyclohexyl carbodiimide is time-dependent. In untreated chromatophores, the time-dependence is determined by the extent of membrane energization. In preilluminated chromatophores, the time-dependence is determined in addition by the extent to which the proton leaks have been closed. The reasons for this are briefly discussed.     

Stimulation of ATP synthesis in Halobacterium halobium R1 by light-induced or artifically created proton electrochemical potential gradients across the cell membrane.

The relationship between proton movement and phosphorylation in Halo-bacterium halobium R1 has been investigated under anaerobic conditions. The light-induced changes in the bacteriorhodopsin are accompanied by proton movements across the membrane which result in pH changes in the suspending medium. The initial alkaline shift is shown to be closely paralleled by (and hence correlated with) ATP synthesis. Acidification of the medium in the presence of valinomycin, under conditions of low external potassium, brings about ATP synthesis in the dark.     

Light-induced proton permeability changes in retinal rod photoreceptor disk membranes.

We have used the membrane-permeant charged fluorescent dye, 3,3'-dipropylthiadicarbocyanine iodide (diS-C3[5]), to monitor electrical potentials across the membranes of isolated bovine disks. Calibration curves obtained from experiments where a potential was created across the disk membrane by a potassium concentration gradient and valinomycin showed an approximately linear relation between dye fluorescence and calculated membrane potential from 0 to -120 mV. Light exposure in the presence of the permeant buffer, imidazole, caused a rapid decay of the membrane potential to a new stable level. Addition of CCCP, a proton ionophore, in the dark produced the same effect as illumination. When the permeant buffer, imidazole, was replaced by the impermeant buffer, Hepes, neither light nor CCCP discharged the gradient. We interpret the changes in membrane potential measured upon illumination to be the result of a light-induced increase in the permeability of the disk membrane to protons. A permeant buffer is required to prevent the build-up of a pH gradient which would inhibit the sustained proton flow needed for an observable change in membrane potential.     

Proton electrochemical gradient and phosphate potential in submitochondrial particles.

The aerobic uptake of inorganic ions, such as 86Rb+ or 125I-, by submitochondrial particles, is about one order of magnitude lower than the uptake of organic ions, such as acridines or 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulphonate. The values of deltapH, the transmembrane pH differential, and deltapsi, the transmembrane membrane potential are between 60 and 100 mV when calculated on the inorganic ions and between 150 and 240 mV when calculated on the organic ions. The discrepancy between the deltapH and deltapsi values from organic and inorganic ions is large at high but not at low ion/protein ratios. 2. In the absence of weak bases and strong acids the values of deltamuH, the proton electrochemical potential difference, are close to 100 mV and the magnitude of deltapH and deltapsi are similar. Weak bases decrease deltapH and enhance deltapsi. Strong acids decrease deltapsi and enhance deltapH. Interchangeability of deltapH with deltapsi occurs at low concentrations of weak bases and strong acids. High concentrations of weak bases and strong acids cause depression of deltamuH. 3. Concentrations of weak bases capable of abolishing deltapH, do not affect ATP synthesis. Concentrations of strong acids capable of abolishing deltapsi affect only slightly ATP synthesis. Concentrations of weak bases and strong acids capable of causing a decline of deltapH + deltapsi inhibit ATP synthesis. 4. Depression of deltamuH is paralleled by inhibition of ATP synthesis and decline of deltaGp, the phosphate potential. Abolition of ATP synthesis occurs only when deltamuH is below 20 mV. The deltaGp/deltamuH ratio increases hyperbolically with the decrease of deltamuH.     

A study of H+ transport in gastric microsomal vesicles using fluorescent probes.

Fluorescent amines, 9-aminoacridine, acridine orange and quinacrine, were used as probes for a pH gradient (deltapH) across gastric microsomal vesicles. Analysis of probe uptake data indicates that 9-aminoacridine distributes across the membrane as a weak base in accordance with the deltapH. On the other hand, acridine orange and quinacrine show characteristics of binding to membrane sites in addition to the accumulation in response to deltapH. A discussion of the advantages and limitations of the probes is presented. Application of these probes to pig gastric microsomal vesicles indicates that that K+-stimulated ATPase is responsible for the transport of H+ into the vesicles and thus develops a deltapH across the membrane. The deltapH generated by the K+-ATPase has a definite requirement for internal K+. The proton gradient can be discharged slowly after ATP depletion or rapidly either by detergent disruption of the vesicles or by increasing their leakiness using both H+ and K+ ionophores. On the other hand, the sole use of the K+ ionophore, valinomycin, stimulates the ATP-induced formation of deltapH by increasing the availability of K+ to internal sites. This stimulation by valinomycin requires the presence of permeable anions like Cl-. Analysis of the Cl- requirement indicates that in the presence of valinomycin the net effect is the accumulation of HCl inside the gastric vesicles. With an external pH of 7.0, the ATP-generated deltapH was calculated to be from 4 to 4.5 pH units. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the K+-stimulated ATPase drives a K+/H+ exchange across the gastric vesicles. Since other lines of evidence suggest that these gastric microsomes are derived from the tubulovesicular system of the oxyntic cell, the participation of the ATP-driven transport processes in gastric HCl secretion is of interest.     

Photophosphorylation as a function of illumination time. II. Effects of permeant buffers

(1) The amounts of orthophosphate, bicarbonate and tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane found inside the thylakoid are almost exactly the amounts predicted by assuming that the buffers equilibrate across the membrane. Since imidazole and pyridine delay the development of post-illumination ATP formation while increasing the maximum amount of ATP formed, it follows that such relatively permeant buffers must also enter the inner aqueous space of the thylakoid.(2) Photophosphorylation begins abruptly at full steady-state efficiency and full steady-state rate as soon as the illumination time exceeds about 5 ms when permeant ions are absent or as soon as the time exceeds about 50 ms if valinomycin and KCl are present. In either case, permeant buffers have little or no effect on the time of illumination required to initiate phosphorylation. A concentration of bicarbonate which would delay acidification of the bulk of the inner aqueous phase for at least 350 ms has no effect at all on the time of initiation of phosphorylation. In somewhat swollen chloroplasts, the combined buffering by the tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and orthophosphate inside would delay acidification of the inside by 1500 ms but, even in the presence of valinomycin and KCl, the total delay in the initiation of phosphorylation is then only 65 ms. Similar discrpancies occur with all of the other buffers mentioned.(3) Since these discrepancies between internal acidification and phosphorylation are found in the presence of saturating amounts of valinomycin and KCl, it seems that photophosphorylation can occur when there are no proton concentration gradients and no electrical potential differences across the membranes which separate the medium from the greater part of the internal aqueous phase.(4) We suggest that the protons produced by electron transport may be used directly for phosophorylation without ever entering the bulk of the inner aqueous phase of the lamellar system. If so, phosphorylation could proceed long before the internal pH reflected the proton activity gradients within the membrane.     

Effects of pH indicators on various activities of chromatophroes of Rhodospirillum rubrum.

1. The effects of pH indicators on activities for ATP hydrolysis in the dark and ATP-Pi exchange in the dark were examined with chromatophores from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Of thirty-one pH indicators tested, eleven (metanil yellow, 2, 4-dinitrophenol, ethyl orange, bromocresol green, resazurin, neutral red, bromthymol blue, alpha-naphtholphthalein, o-cresolphthalein, phenolphthalein, and alizarin yellow G) almost completely inhibited the activities for ATP formation and ATP-Pi exchange at concentrations of 1 mM, and were studied in detail. 2. Of the eleven pH indicators, those other than alpha-naptholphthalein, o-cresolphthalein and phenolphthalein, when assayed at appropriate concentrations, inhibited ATP-Pi exchange, but not ATP hydrolysis. In ATP-Pi exchange, these eight pH indicators at the concentrations described above were competitive against Pi, and non-competitive against ATP. The remaining three kinds of pH indicators were non-competitive against either Pi or ATP, when assayed at concentrations of the dyes that inhibited both activities. 3. The amounts of pH indicators bound with chromatophores were measured. No correlation was found between the amounts of the bound dyes and the extents of their inhibition of either ATP formation or ATP-Pi exchange. 4. Ethyl orange (pKa=4.1) and 2, 4-dinitrophenol (pKa=3.9) stimulated ATP hydrolysis to the greatest extent. The latter dye was hardly bound with chromatophores. 5. The stimulatory effects of pH indicators on ATP hydrolysis were hardly affected by extraction of quinones from chromatophores. 6. Most of the pH indicators stimulated both succinate-cytochrome c2 and NADH-cytochrome c2 reductions in the dark. 7. The mechanism of uncoupling of the electron transfer system and the phosphorylation system by pH indicators and the mechanism of the coupling are discussed.     

A protonmotive force as the source of energy for galactoside transport in energy depleted Escherichia coli.

An artificially produced electrochemical potential difference for protons (portonmotive force) provided the energy for the transport of galactosides in Escherichia coli cells which were depleted of their endogenous energy reserves. The driving force for the entry of protons was provided by either a transmembrane pH gradient or a membrane potential. The pH gradient across the membrane was created by acidifying the external medium. The membrane potential (inside negative) was established by the outward diffusion of potassium (in the presence of valinomycin) or by the inward diffusion of the permeant thiocyanate ion. The magnitude of the electrochemical potential difference for protons agreed well with magnitude of the chemical potential difference of the lactose analog, thiomethylgalactoside. The observations are consistent with the view that the carrier-mediated entry of each galactoside molecule is accompanied by the entry of one proton.     

The effect of permeant buffers on initial ATP synthesis by chloroplasts using rapid mix-quench techniques

The chemiosmotic hypothesis predicts that buffers which permeate chloroplast membranes should delay the formation of the proton gradient at the onset of illumination. If valinomycin and KCl are present to collapse the electrical potential as well, this delay should result in a lag in initial ATP synthesis. Using rapid-mix, acid-quench techniques, we have found that in light-driven ATP synthesis the permeant buffer imidazole does not increase the initial lag caused by the valinomycin-KCl pair. Similar results are obtained under methyl viologen or phenazine methosulfate/ascorbate-mediated photophosphorylation and are independent of the internal volume of the chloroplasts. Furthermore, we have observed that chloroplasts can synthesize significant amounts of ATP in darkness following an illumination period as short as 100 ms. This capacity for ATP synthesis in darkness after short pre-illumination periods is decreased in the presence of imidazole, and this may account for the apparent lags reported in earlier studies which have used rapid flash photophosphorylation in the presence of permeant buffers. The results of the present study argue that in chloroplasts, initial ATP synthesis and post-illumination ATP synthesis are driven by distinct components of the proton motive potential.     

Stimulation of ATP synthesis in Halobacterium halobium R1 by light-induced or artificially created proton electrochemical potential gradients across the cell membrane

The relationship between proton movement and phosphorylation in Halobacterium halobium R₁ has been investigated under anaerobic conditions. The light-induced changes in the bacteriorhodopsin are accompanied by proton movements across the cell membrane which result in pH changes in the suspending medium. The initial alkaline shift is shown to be closely paralleled by (and hence correlated with) ATP synthesis. Acidification of the medium in the presence of valinomycin, under conditions of low external potassium, brings about ATP synthesis in the dark.