Pump and displacement currents of reconstituted ATP synthase on black lipid membranes

Summary Purified ATP synthase (F ₀ F ₁) fromRhodospirillum rubrum was reconstituted into asolectin liposomes which were than adsorbed to a planar lipid bilayer. After the addition of an inactive photolabile ATP derivative (caged ATP), ATP was released after illumination with UV light, which led to a transient current in the system. The transient photocurrent indicates that the vesicles and the planar membrane are capacitatively coupled. Stationary pump currents were obtained after addition of protonophores. These currents are specifically inhibited by oligomycin and stimulated threefold by inorganic phosphate (P _i ). In analogy oligomycin-sensitive pump currents in the reverse direction coupled to net ATP synthesis were induced by a light-induced concentration jump of ADP out of caged ADP, demonstrating the reversibility of the pump. For this, a preformed proton motive force and P _i were necessary.In a second series of experiments, proteoliposomes containing both ATP synthase and bacteriorhodopsin were adsorbed to a planar bilayer. The system was excited by a laser flash. The resulting photocurrents were measured with a time resolution of 2 sec. In the presence of ADP, the signal was modulated by the electrical activity of ATP synthase. ADP-induced charge displacements in ATP synthase, with time constants of 11 and 160 sec were obtained. The kinetics of the charge movements were slowed down byF ₀ specific inhibitors (DCCD or oligomycin) and were totally absent if ADP binding toF ₁ is prevented by the catalytic site-blocking agent NBD-Cl. The charge displacement of ATP synthase is coupled only to the membrane potential induced by the electrical activity of bacteriorhodopsin. The charge movements are interpreted as conformational transitions during early steps of the reaction cycle of ATP synthase.     

两种化学修饰菌紫质的光化循环和光电位

本文分别用两种氮氧自由基对菌紫质(bR)中的两种氨基酸残基——赖氨酸和丝氨酸进行了修饰,并对修饰后的bR光循环中间产物M_(412)动力学过程、质子泵效率及光电响应信号进行了测量。通过与正常紫膜进行比较,可以看出:赖氨酸被修饰后,M_(412)快、慢组分的衰减及质子的吸收过程均减慢,M_(412)和质子的产额、跨膜光电位信号均有不同程度的提高;丝氨酸被修饰后,M_(412)和质子的动力学过程的变化与赖氨酸基本相同,但M_(412)和质子的产额及跨膜光电位提高很大,且光电位出现缓慢反向现象。结果表明赖氨酸不大可能直接参与质子的传递过程,其对紫膜质子泵的影响主要是通过其所带电荷对表面电位的贡献;而丝氨酸却似乎对bR的功能影响很大并对维持质子通道构象环境的稳定起着很大作用。     

Light-harvesting chlorophyll protein (LHCII) drives electron transfer in semiconductor nanocrystals

Type-II quantum dots (QDs) are capable of light-driven charge separation between their core and the shell structures; however, their light absorption is limited in the longer-wavelength range. Biological light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) efficiently absorbs in the blue and red spectral domains. Therefore, hybrid complexes of these two structures may be promising candidates for photovoltaic applications. Previous measurements had shown that LHCII bound to QD can transfer its excitation energy to the latter, as indicated by the fluorescence emissions of LHCII and QD being quenched and sensitized, respectively. In the presence of methyl viologen (MV), both fluorescence emissions are quenched, indicating an additional electron transfer process from QDs to MV. Transient absorption spectroscopy confirmed this notion and showed that electron transfer from QDs to MV is much faster than fluorescence energy transfer between LHCII and QD. The action spectrum of MV reduction by LHCII-QD complexes reflected the LHCII absorption spectrum, showing that light absorbed by LHCII and transferred to QDs increased the efficiency of MV reduction by QDs. Under continuous illumination, at least 28 turnovers were observed for the MV reduction. Presumably, the holes in QD cores were filled by a reducing agent in the reaction solution or by the dihydrolipoic-acid coating of the QDs. The LHCII-QD construct can be viewed as a simple model of a photosystem with the QD component acting as reaction center.     

pH-dependence of interaction between melittin and bacteriorhodopsin

Melittin differentially slowed down the fast (M412f) and the slow (M412s) decay components of the photocyde intermediate M of trimeric bacteriorhodopsin in purple membrane while it accelerated the M412s of Triton X-100-solubilized bacteriorhodopsin monomers. Raising the bulk pH could enhance the effect of melittin on the M412s of bacteriorhodopsin in these two states. From pH 5.5 to 8.8, melittin slightly influenced the yield of intermediate M in purple membrane, whereas the yield of M412s decreased and subsequently reversed with the addition of melittin. Moreover, the monomeric bacteriorhodopsin bleached more readily in the presence of melittin and the higher pH made the bleaching effect of melittin more intensive as well. These results re-certify our former suggestions that there was electrostatic interaction between melittin and bacteriorhodopsin, and indicate that the biphasic M decay may not result from the well-known linear kinetic scheme (M→N →BR). At last the mechanisms underlying the interact     

蝙蝠的寄生吸虫似蛇属一新种(吸虫纲:斜睾科)

本文记述的似蛇属一新种,小形似蛇吸虫,新种Natriodera parva sp.nov.,采自浙江省桐庐县大足蝠的小肠中。新种与大形似蛇吸虫Natriodeta verlaium相似,但体型较小。     

The EPR spectrum of cytochrome b-563 in the cytocrhome bf complex from spinach: (1993) FEBS Letters 164, 71–74

Blood group H antigen with globo-series structure, reacting with the monoclonal antibody MBrl, was isolated and characterized from human blood group O erythrocytes. The structure was identified by methylation analysis, direct probe mass spectrometry, and ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as shown below: Fucαl → 2Galβl → 3GalNAcβl → 3Galαl → 4Galβl → 4Glcβl → 1Cer     

Infrared studies of water induced conformational changes in bacteriorhodopsin

Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy has been used to study the effect of water on the conformation of bacteriorhodopsin. The infrared spectra as a function of water content show a conformational change at about 0.06 g H₂O/g bacteriorhodopsin. By an interference method the thickness of the sample was measured and shows similar behavior as a function of water content. This study gives insight into the process of water absorption by purple membrane. The observations are in good agreement with those found for other proteins.Abbreviations IR infrared - FTIR Fourier transform IR     

The absorbance spectrum of the brown holo-membrane and the comparison of pI values of bacteriorhodopsin solubilized from purple membrane and from brown holo-membrane

Brown holo-membrane was prepared by the addition of all-trans-retinal to brown apo-membrane which was isolated from Halobacterium halobium grown in the presence of nicotine. The effects of pH and NaCI concentration on the absorbance spectrum of the brown holo-membrane were investigated in comparison with those of the purple membrane. The λ_max of the dark-adapted brown holo-membrane shifted from 560 to 600 nm by lowering pH. The pK value which was determined as the mid-point pH for the spectral red-shift was 5.8 in the absence of NaCl. It was lowered to 4.5 and 3.4 in 0.1 and 1 M NaCl solutions, respectively. The pK value for the brown holo-membrane was larger than the corresponding value for the purple membrane in the NaCl solution. Bacteriorhodopsins present in the purple membrane and in the brown holo-membrane were solubilized in the nonionic detergent, lauryl ester of sucrose. For both solubilized bacteriorhodopsins, the pK value of spectral red-shift was about 3.1 in water, and the pI value, determined by chromatofocusing, was about 4.6 at 22°C.