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Title: Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Reveals Energy Landscape for Rhodopsin Photoactivation

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
 [1];  [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
  2. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
  3. Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); St. Petersburg State Univ., St. Petersburg (Russia)
  5. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  6. Graduate School of China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing (China)

Here, knowledge of the activation principles for G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is critical to development of new pharmaceuticals. Rhodopsin is the archetype for the largest GPCR family, yet the changes in protein dynamics that trigger signaling are not fully understood. Here we show that rhodopsin can be investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) in fully protiated detergent micelles under contrast matching to resolve light-induced changes in the protein structure. In SANS studies of membrane proteins, the zwitterionic detergent [(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) is advantageous because of the low contrast difference between the hydrophobic core and hydrophilic head groups as compared with alkyl glycoside detergents. Combining SANS results with quasielastic neutron scattering reveals how changes in volumetric protein shape are coupled (slaved) to the aqueous solvent. Upon light exposure, rhodopsin is swollen by the penetration of water into the protein core, allowing interactions with effector proteins in the visual signaling mechanism.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1492157
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Vol. 9, Issue 24; ISSN 1948-7185
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 13 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Neutron scattering in the biological sciences: progress and prospects journal December 2018
Quantum Mechanical and Molecular Mechanics Modeling of Membrane-Embedded Rhodopsins journal September 2019