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What does Halobacterium tell us about photoreception?

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Abstract

A photosensory mechanism is proposed for Halobacterium halobium based on the observation of light-induced motor responses. Possible mechanisms of signal transduction in Halobacterium are discussed. Bacteriorhodopsin and the visual pigment rhodopsin are compared with respect to their structural and functional properties. The conclusion is drawn that Halobacterium may help to understand primary photochemical events of rhodopsin rather than the transduction mechanism of visual photoreceptors.

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  1. Institut für Neurobiologie, Kernforschungsanlage Jülich, Postfach 1913, D-5170, Jülich, Federal Republic of Germany

    E. Hildebrand

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  1. E. Hildebrand
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Hildebrand, E. What does Halobacterium tell us about photoreception?. Biophys. Struct. Mechanism 3, 69–77 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00536457

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