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Water Molecules in Short‐ and Long‐Distance Proton Transfer Steps of Bacteriorhodopsin Proton Pumping
Author(s) -
Bondar AnaNicoleta,
Smith Jeremy C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
israel journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.908
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1869-5868
pISSN - 0021-2148
DOI - 10.1560/ijc.49.2.155
Subject(s) - bacteriorhodopsin , chemistry , deprotonation , proton , molecule , proton transport , chemical physics , photochemistry , schiff base , transfer (computing) , stereochemistry , membrane , organic chemistry , nuclear physics , ion , biochemistry , physics , parallel computing , computer science
The proton pumping cycle of bacteriorhodopsin consists of five consecutive proton transfer steps, in all of which water molecules are likely to play critical roles. Here we review the role of water molecules in bacteriorhodopsin function, with emphasis on computations of the retinal Schiff base deprotonation reaction and the open questions regarding the participation of water molecules in the longer‐distance proton transfer reactions.