학술논문

Light-driven Proton Pumps as a Potential Regulator for Carbon Fixation in Marine Diatoms
Document Type
Journal Article
Source
Microbes and Environments. 2023, 38(2):23015
Subject
CO2-concentrating mechanism
diatom
marine microbiology
microbial rhodopsins
Language
English
ISSN
1342-6311
1347-4405
Abstract
Diatoms are a major phytoplankton group responsible for approximately 20% of carbon fixation on Earth. They perform photosynthesis using light-harvesting chlo­rophylls located in plastids, an organelle obtained through eukaryote-eukaryote endosymbiosis. Microbial rhodopsin, a photoreceptor distinct from chlo­rophyll-based photosystems, was recently identified in some diatoms. However, the physiological function of diatom rhodopsin remains unclear. Heterologous expression techniques were herein used to investigate the protein function and subcellular localization of diatom rhodopsin. We demonstrated that diatom rhodopsin acts as a light-driven proton pump and localizes primarily to the outermost membrane of four membrane-bound complex plastids. Using model simulations, we also examined the effects of pH changes inside the plastid due to rhodopsin-mediated proton transport on photosynthesis. The results obtained suggested the involvement of rhodopsin-mediated local pH changes in a photosynthetic CO2-concentrating mechanism in rhodopsin-possessing diatoms.