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Channel Rhodopsins

Channel Rhodopsins

Most organisms use photoreceptors to sense and respond to light. Examples of photoreceptors include bacteriorhodopsins and bacteriophytochromes in some bacteria, phytochromes in plants, and rhodopsins in the photoreceptor cells of the vertebral retina. The light-sensitive property of these receptors is because of the bound chromophores, such as bilin in the phytochromes and retinal in the rhodopsins.
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 26, 2025

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis

Published on: January 16, 2019

Microbial Rhodopsins: The Last Two Decades.

Andrey Rozenberg¹, Keiichi Inoue², Hideki Kandori³

¹Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; email: alephreish@gmail.com, beja@technion.ac.il.

Annual Review of Microbiology

|August 3, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Microbial rhodopsins, found in all life and viruses, are photoreceptive proteins with diverse functions. This review covers their two families, structure, and biological roles over two decades.

Keywords:

heliorhodopsins ion pumps microbial rhodopsins photosensors retinal

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Microbiology

Background:

Microbial rhodopsins are light-sensitive proteins utilizing a retinal chromophore.
They are present across all domains of life and in viruses.
Two main families exist: type 1 rhodopsins and heliorhodopsins.

Purpose of the Study:

To review microbial rhodopsins discovered over the past 20 years.
To describe their structural diversity and functional roles.
To highlight their biological and ecological significance.

Main Methods:

Literature review of research from the last two decades.
Analysis of structural and functional data.
Synthesis of information on biological and ecological roles.

Main Results:

Microbial rhodopsins exhibit diverse structures and functions, including energy transduction and sensory processes.
Type 1 rhodopsins and heliorhodopsins share structural similarities but differ in membrane orientation.
These proteins play crucial roles in various biological and ecological contexts.

Conclusions:

Microbial rhodopsins are a vital and diverse group of photoreceptors.
Continued research reveals their expanding roles in cellular processes and ecosystems.
Understanding microbial rhodopsins offers insights into light-driven biological mechanisms.