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Photochemistry of Halorhodopsin

  • Chapter
Optogenetics

Abstract

Halorhodopsin is a light-driven inward Cl− pump found in the membrane of a halophilic archaeon called Halobacterium salinarum. While the physiological role of halorhodopsin has not been fully resolved, its functional mechanism has been studied as a model system for anion transport. Halorhodopsin has become widely used in optogenetics due to its light-induced neural-silencing ability. Here, we summarize the functional analyses of halorhodopsin since its discovery. Like other microbial rhodopsins, halorhodopsin contains all-trans retinal bound to a specific lysine residue through a protonated Schiff base. Proton-pumping rhodopsins utilize Asp residues as the counter-ions for the protonated Schiff bases. In halorhodopsin, this Asp residue is replaced by Thr, and Cl− becomes the counter-ion. Photoexcited halorhodopsin undergoes a photocycle including several intermediates where sequential Cl− movements occur. During the formation of the N-intermediate, Cl− moves from its original position to the cytoplasmic channel. During the subsequent N decay, the Cl− is released to the cytoplasmic medium. During the Cl− release, the dissociation constant of Cl− increases significantly compared with that at the dark state. Next, another Cl− is captured from the extracellular medium to complete the net Cl− translocation. This recapture process is not well defined.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan

    Takashi Kikukawa, Naoki Kamo & Makoto Demura

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  1. Takashi Kikukawa
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  2. Naoki Kamo
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  3. Makoto Demura
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Correspondence to Makoto Demura .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, Japan

    Hiromu Yawo

  2. Department of Frontier Materials, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Hideki Kandori

  3. National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo, Japan

    Amane Koizumi

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Kikukawa, T., Kamo, N., Demura, M. (2015). Photochemistry of Halorhodopsin. In: Yawo, H., Kandori, H., Koizumi, A. (eds) Optogenetics. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55516-2_4

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