Effect of a bound anion on the structure and dynamics of halorhodopsin from Natronomonas pharaonis

Active ion transport across membranes is vital to maintaining the electrochemical gradients of ions in cells and is mediated by transmembrane proteins. Halorhodopsin (HR) functions as a light-driven inward pump for chloride ions. The protein contains all-trans-retinal bound to a specific lysine residue through a protonated Schiff base. Interaction between the bound chloride ion and the protonated Schiff base is crucial for ion transport because chloride ion movement is driven by the flipping of the protonated Schiff base upon photoisomerization. However, it remains unknown how this interaction evolves in the HR photocycle. Here, we addressed the effect of the bound anion on the structure and dynamics of HR from Natronomonas pharaonis in the early stage of the photocycle. Comparison of the chloride-bound, formate-bound, and anion-depleted forms provided insights into the interaction between the bound anion and the chromophore/protein moiety. In the unphotolyzed state, the bound anion affects the π-conjugation of the polyene chain and the hydrogen bond of the protonated Schiff base of the retinal chromophore. Picosecond time scale measurements showed that the band intensities of the W16 and W18 modes of the tryptophan residues decreased instantaneously upon photoexcitation of the formate-bound form. In contrast, these intensity decreases were delayed for the chloride-bound and anion-depleted forms. These observations suggest the stronger interactions of the bound formate ion with the retinal chromophore and the chromophore pocket. On the nanosecond to microsecond timescales, we found that the interaction between the protonated Schiff base and the bound ion is broken upon formation of the K intermediate and is recovered following translocation of the bound anion toward the protonated Schiff base in the L intermediate. Our results demonstrate that the hydrogen-bonding ability of the bound anion plays an essential role in the ion transport of light-driven anion pumps.