Sensory rhodopsin I (SRI) is one of the most interesting photo- sensory receptors because of its function in using the photochromic reaction to mediate opposing signals which depend on the color of light. It was initially thought that SRI exists only in the archaea, but we recently reported for the first time a newly functional SRI from a eubacterium, Salinibacter ruber (SrSRI). The amino acid sequence of SrSRI shows 43% identity with the well-known SRI (HsSRI) and contains most of the amino acid residues identified as necessary for SRI function. The photochemical properties of SrSRI are similar to those of HsSRI. In addition, SrSRI is a highly stable protein, even in dilute salt conditions. Thus, SrSRI could be a key protein for characterizing its association with the SrSRI transducer protein, SrHtrI, and for elucidating structural changes of SRI and HtrI that occur during their function. Recently, new approaches to manipulate cellular functions with rhodopsins have been established. SRI can activate and deactivate a kinase, CheA, by the photochromic reaction. Kinases are key molecules for signal transduction in various organisms, and SRI could potentially manipulate their cellular functions.
Keywords: membrane protein; photochromicity; phototaxis; retinal; sensory rhodopsin I; signal transduction.