Crystal Structure of the 11-cis Isomer of Pharaonis Halorhodopsin: Structural Constraints on Interconversions among Different Isomeric States

Like other microbial rhodopsins, the light driven chloride pump halorhodopsin from Natronomonas pharaonis (pHR) contains a mixture of all-trans/15-anti and 13-cis/15-syn isomers in the dark adapted state. A recent crystallographic study of the reaction states of pHR has shown that reaction states with 13-cis/15-syn retinal occur in the anion pumping cycle that is initiated by excitation of the all-trans isomer. In this study, we investigated...