PROTEORHODOPSIN MUTANTS WITH IMPROVED OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS

摘要

The present invention is directed to a protoeorhodopsin mutant having improv ed optical characteristics. One improved optical characteristic is having a low er pH(pKrh) at which equal concentrations of the acidic and basic spectral form of the proteorrhodopsin molecules are present. Another improved optical characteristic is having a smaller difference in maximum absorption waveleng th between the basic and the acidic form. The mutant comprises a mutation in a conserved amino acid residue of a proteorhodopdin variant, which auses spectral shifts. A preferred mutation site is a conserved histidine residue at amino acid position 75 of Bac31A8, or position 77 of Hot75m1, or its equivalent position of a proteorhodopsin variant. Another preferred mutation site is a conserved arginine residue at amino acid position 94 of Bac31A8, o r position 96 of Hot75m1, or its equivalent position of a proteorhodopsin variant.