Shiori Kobayashi

A Microbial Rhodopsin with a Unique Retinal Composition Shows Both Sensory Rhodopsin II and Bacteriorhodopsin-like Properties

Rhodopsins possess retinal chromophore surrounded by seven transmembrane α-helices, are widespread in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes, and can be utilized as optogenetic tools. Although rhodopsins work as distinctly different photoreceptors in various organisms, they can be roughly divided according to their two basic functions, light-energy conversion and light-signal transduction. In microbes, light-driven proton transporters functioning as light-energy converters have been modified by evolution to produce sensory receptors that relay signals to transducer proteins to control motility. In this study, we cloned and characterized two newly identified microbial rhodopsins from Haloquadratum walsbyi. One of them has photochemical properties and a proton pumping activity similar to the well known proton pump bacteriorhodopsin (BR). The other, named middle rhodopsin (MR), is evolutionarily transitional between BR and the phototactic sensory rhodopsin II (SRII), having an SRII-like absorption maximum, a BR-like photocycle, and a unique retinal composition. The wild-type MR does not have a light-induced proton pumping activity. On the other hand, a mutant MR with two key hydrogen-bonding residues located at the interaction surface with the transducer protein HtrII shows robust phototaxis responses similar to SRII, indicating that MR is potentially capable of the signaling. These results demonstrate that color tuning and insertion of the critical threonine residue occurred early in the evolution of sensory rhodopsins. MR may be a missing link in the evolution from type 1 rhodopsins (microorganisms) to type 2 rhodopsins (animals), because it is the first microbial rhodopsin known to have 11-cis-retinal similar to type 2 rhodopsins.

Absorption Spectra and Photochemical Reactions in a Unique Photoactive Protein, Middle Rhodopsin MR

Photoactive proteins with cognate chromophores are widespread in organisms, and function as light-energy converters or receptors for light-signal transduction. Rhodopsins, which have retinal (vitamin A aldehyde) as their chromophore within their seven transmembrane α-helices, are classified into two groups, microbial (type-1) and animal (type-2) rhodopsins. In general, light absorption by type-1 or type-2 rhodopsins triggers a trans-cis or cis-trans isomerization of the retinal, respectively, initiating their photochemical reactions. Recently, we found a new microbial rhodopsin (middle rhodopsin, MR), binding three types of retinal isomers in its original state: all-trans, 13-cis, and 11-cis. Here, we identified the absolute absorption spectra of MR by a combination of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV-vis spectroscopy under varying light conditions. The absorption maxima of MR with all-trans, 13-cis, or 11-cis retinal are located at 485, 479, and 495 nm, respectively. Their photocycles were analyzed by time-resolved laser spectroscopy using various laser wavelengths. In conclusion, we propose that the photocycles of MR are MR(trans) → MR(K):lifetime = 93 μs → MR(M):lifetime = 12 ms → MR, MR(13-cis) → MR(O-like):lifetime = 5.1 ms → MR, and MR(11-cis) → MR(K-like):lifetime = 8.2 μs → MR, respectively. Thus, we demonstrate that a single photoactive protein drives three independent photochemical reactions.

Biophysical characterization of the C-terminal region of FliG, an essential rotor component of the Na+-driven flagellar motor.

The bacterial flagellar motor generates a rotational force by the flow of ions through the membrane. The rotational force is generated by the interaction between the cytoplasmic regions of the rotor and the stator. FliG is directly involved in the torque generation of the rotor protein by its interaction. FliG is composed of three domains: the N-terminal, Middle and C-terminal domains, based on its structure. The C-terminal domain of FliG is assumed to be important for the interaction with the stator that generates torque. In this study, using CD spectra, gel filtration chromatography and DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), we characterized the physical properties of the C-terminal domain (G214-Stop) of wild-type (WT) FliG and its non-motile phenotype mutant derivatives (L259Q, L270R and L271P), which were derived from the sodium-driven motor of Vibrio. The CD spectra and gel filtration chromatography revealed a slight difference between the WT and the mutant FliG proteins, but the DSC results suggested a large difference in their stabilities. That structural difference was confirmed by differences in protease sensitivity. Based on these results, we conclude that mutations which confer the non-motile phenotype destabilize the C-terminal domain of FliG.

Expression, purification and biochemical characterization of the cytoplasmic loop of PomA, a stator component of the Na+ driven flagellar motor

Flagellar motors embedded in bacterial membranes are molecular machines powered by specific ion flows. Each motor is composed of a stator and a rotor and the interactions of those components are believed to generate the torque. Na+ influx through the PomA/PomB stator complex of Vibrio alginolyticus is coupled to torque generation and is speculated to trigger structural changes in the cytoplasmic domain of PomA that interacts with a rotor protein in the C-ring, FliG, to drive the rotation. In this study, we tried to overproduce the cytoplasmic loop of PomA (PomA-Loop), but it was insoluble. Thus, we made a fusion protein with a small soluble tag (GB1) which allowed us to express and characterize the recombinant protein. The structure of the PomA-Loop seems to be very elongated or has a loose tertiary structure. When the PomA-Loop protein was produced in E. coli, a slight dominant effect was observed on motility. We conclude that the cytoplasmic loop alone retains a certain function.

Domain-based biophysical characterization of the structural and thermal stability of FliG, an essential rotor component of the Na+-driven flagellar motor

Many bacteria move using their flagellar motor, which generates torque through the interaction between the stator and rotor. The most important component of the rotor for torque generation is FliG. FliG consists of three domains: FliGN, FliGM, and FliGC. FliGC contains a site(s) that interacts with the stator. In this study, we examined the physical properties of three FliG constructs, FliGFull, FliGMC, and FliGC, derived from sodium-driven polar flagella of marine Vibrio. Size exclusion chromatography revealed that FliG changes conformational states under two different pH conditions. Circular dichroism spectroscopy also revealed that the contents of α-helices in FliG slightly changed under these pH conditions. Furthermore, we examined the thermal stability of the FliG constructs using differential scanning calorimetry. Based on the results, we speculate that each domain of FliG denatures independently. This study provides basic information on the biophysical characteristics of FliG, a component of the flagellar motor.

Construction of functional fragments of the cytoplasmic loop with the C-terminal region of PomA, a stator component of the Vibrio Na+ driven flagellar motor

The membrane motor proteins, PomA (polar flagellar motility protein A) and PomB (polar flagellar motility protein B), of Vibrio alginolyticus form a stator complex that converts energy from the ion flow to mechanical work in bacterial flagellar motors. The cytoplasmic domain of PomA is believed to interact with the rotor protein FliG to make a torque. In this study, to investigate the function of the cytoplasmic domain of PomA, we constructed a series of fragments that flank the cytoplasmic loop of PomA between the second and third transmembrane (TM) domains (A-loop) and the C-terminal region, and expressed them in Escherichia coli together with PomA and PotB (a chimeric protein of PomB and MotB). We observed a dominant-negative effect of one PomA fragment on motility. We confirmed that these PomA fragments localized both in the membrane fraction and in the cytoplasmic fraction, and induced bacterial growth delay. Effect of additional point and deletion mutations into this fragment implies that the C-terminal region and TM domains used as a linker play a significant part in these observations. From these results, we conclude that the PomA fragments retain the structure important for functions. We expect that further constructions will provide a variety of experimental approaches to characterize the interaction between PomA and FliG.