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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis
Published on: January 16, 2019
Proteorhodopsins: an array of physiological roles?
Jed A Fuhrman1, Michael S Schwalbach, Ulrich Stingl
1Department of Biological Sciences and Wrigley Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0371, USA. fuhrman@usc.edu
Abstract:
Metagenomic analyses have revealed widespread and diverse retinal-binding rhodopsin proteins (named proteorhodopsins) among numerous marine bacteria and archaea, which has challenged the notion that solar energy can only enter marine ecosystems by chlorophyll-based photosynthesis. Most marine proteorhodopsins share structural and functional similarities with archaeal bacteriorhodopsins, which generate proton motive force via light-activated proton pumping, thereby ultimately powering ATP production. This suggests an energetic role for proteorhodopsins. However, results from a growing number of investigations do not readily fit this model, which indicates that proteorhodopsins could have a range of physiological functions.
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