Interdisciplinary biophysical studies of membrane proteins bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin

The centenary of the birth of H. Gobind Khorana provides an auspicious opportunity to review the origins and evolution of parallel advances in biophysical methodology and molecular genetics technology used to study membrane proteins. Interdisciplinary work in the Khorana laboratory in the late 1970s and for the next three decades led to productive collaborations and fostered three subsequent scientific generations whose biophysical work on membrane proteins has led to detailed elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of energy transduction by the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and signal transduction by the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin. This review will highlight the origins and advances of biophysical studies of membrane proteins made possible by the application of molecular genetics approaches to engineer site-specific alterations of membrane protein structures.

Automated summary

The centenary of H. Gobind Khorana's birth provides an opportunity to review the origins and evolution of biophysical methodology and molecular genetics technology used to study membrane proteins. Interdisciplinary collaboration in the Khorana laboratory led to significant advances in the biophysical study of membrane proteins, particularly in understanding the molecular mechanisms of energy transduction by bacteriorhodopsin and signal transduction by rhodopsin. This review focuses on the application of molecular genetics approaches to engineer alterations in membrane protein structures, enabling detailed studies of membrane proteins.