Seabed finds "light-eating protein" helps microorganisms convert light into energy

In July 7th news, a team of scientists accidentally discovered the first "photophagic protein" on the seabed of Galilee, Israel. This cell component helps plants and microorganisms collect sunlight and obtain energy from it. This is the first time scientists have discovered a "photophagic protein" in nearly 50 years. This unexpected discovery will help researchers better understand how microorganisms sense light, and it will promote new light basic research and new data storage technologies.

Many organisms use photosensitive proteins to harvest solar energy to help them survive. Some organisms use chlorophyll to convert sunlight in photosynthesis, and some organisms use rhodopsins to convert sunlight into energy. It is understood that rhodopsin is a protein that can be combined with an acidified structure of vitamin A called retinal to capture sunlight. The most famous rhodopsin exists in the rod cells of our eyes and helps us see things in the dark. But another form of rhodopsin can help tiny organisms such as algae and bacteria absorb light to produce chemical energy.

The researchers began searching for this rhodopsin while collecting DNA samples in the Sea of ​​Galilee, Israel. They returned to the laboratory and screened the DNA gene encoding the light-reactive protein. When they added retinal to the E. coli that hosts the DNA, it It becomes purple, indicating that rhodopsin may exist. When they tested the DNA further, they discovered a brand new photophagic protein. They named it "heliorhodopsin". This latest research report was published in the journal Nature in June.

Scientists are not quite sure how heliorhodopsin works. Its DNA is very similar to rhodopsin, which produces chemical energy. But because it takes a long time to complete the light conversion cycle, the researchers suspect that this is a light-sensitive protein, similar to rhodopsin in the human eye. We can know for sure that this new type of protein seems to be ubiquitous, present in bacteria, algae and archaea, and even in viruses that can survive on the earth as long as there is soil and water. At the same time, this protein type is present in photosensitive bacteria and other microorganisms that have not been discovered until now.

This photosensitive protein can be used in data storage, optogenetics and other fields, so that scientists can use light to manipulate transgenic nerve cells. But first, scientists must answer some questions about the fundamentals of this protein. (Camera)