Abstract
The interface of two immiscible liquids is widely used as a model biological membrane for investigation of fundamental processes of photosynthesis, biocatalysis, fusion and interaction of cells, elucidation of mechanisms of functioning of ionic pumps, and electron exchangers (Boguslavsky and Volkov, 1987). The bacteriorhodopsin sheets from Halobacterium halobium were one of the first membrane systems studied upon the octane/water interface (Boguslavsky et al., 1975, 1976; Boguslavsky and Volkov, 1987; Drachev et al., 1983; Hwang et al.,1977, Post et al.,1984). These studies were carried out in various laboratories, but the results itself as well as their interpretation significantly differed. The progress was achieved due to studies of (Post et al.,1984) who proposed the way to immobilize bacteriorhodopsin sheets in the system with extended surface, octane-in-water emulsion. In this case the control of phototransfer of protons was significantly simplified: the measurements of concentration of protons in aqueous medium of emulsion was carried out using the conventional pH-meter. In our opinion the emulsion system proposed in (Post et al., 1984) is quite promising, since it facilitates the quantitative examination of the transfer of various ions through the water/lipid interface during functioning of membrane ion pumps using the ion selective electrodes. The vast interfacial area makes it possible to obtain the products of heterogeneous reactions in macroscopic quantities, whereas the low dielectric constant of non-aqueous phase may result in a broad decrease of activation energy (Kharkats and Volkov, 1987). The emulsion enzymology enables one to study naturally immobilized membrane enzymes in conditions close to the native ones.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bell RP (1931): The electrical energy of dipole molecules in solution and the solubilities of ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen sulphite in various solvents. J Chem Soc: 1371–1382.
Boguslavsky LI, Kondrashin AA, Kozlov IA, Metelsky ST, Skulachev VP and Volkov AG (1975): Charge transfer between wayer and octane phases by soluble mitochondrial ATPase, bacteriorhodopsin and respiratory chain enzymos. FEBS Letters 50: 223–226.
Boguslavsky LI, Boytsov VG, Volkov AG, Kozlov IA and Metelsky ST (1976): Light-dependent translocation of H+ from water to octane by bacteriorhodopsin. Bioorg Khimiya 2: 1125–1134.
Boguslavsky LI and Volkov AG (1987): Redox and photochemical reactions at the interface between immiscible liquids. In: The interface structure and electrochemical processes at the boundary between two immiscible liquids, Kazarinov VE, ed. Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Drachev LA, Kaulen MD, Skulachev VP and Vojtsitsky VM (1983): Bacteriorhodopsin-mediated photoelectric responses in lipid/water systems. J Membr Biol 65:1–12.
Hwang SB, Korenbrot JI and Stoeckenius W (1977): Proton translocation by bacteriorhodopsin through an interface film. J Membr Biol 36: 137–158.
Kharkats YuI and Volkov AG (1987): Membrane catalysis: syncronous multielectron reactions at the liquid-liquid interface. Biochim Biophys Acta 891: 56 – 63.
Markin VS and Volkov AG (1989): The Gibbs free energy of ion transfer between two immiscible liquids. Electrochim Acta 34: 93–107.
Oesterhelt D and Stoeckenius W (1974): Isolation of the cell membrane of Halobacterium halobium and its fraction into red and purple membrane. Methods in Enzymology 31: 667–678.
Post A, Young SE and Robertson RN (1984): Light-induced proton translocation by bacteriorhodopsin at the interface of an octane-in-water emulsion and inhibition by a retinotoxin. Photobiochem Photobiophys 8:153 – 162.
Volkov AG (1984): A possible mechanism of the photooxidation of water sensitized by chlorophyll adsorbed at the interface. Bioelectrochem Bioenerg 12:15 – 24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Birkhäuser Boston
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Volkov, A.G., Gugeshashvili, M.I., Portnov, V.I., Markin, V.S., Chekulaeva, L.N. (1992). Emulsion Bioelectrochemistry: Bacteriorhodopsin Phototransfer of Protons through the Interface Water/Lipid in Octane. In: Allen, M.J., Cleary, S.F., Sowers, A.E., Shillady, D.D. (eds) Charge and Field Effects in Biosystems—3. Birkhäuser Boston. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9837-4_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9837-4_16
Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Boston
Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-9839-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-9837-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive