紫膜在含水凝胶中的定向和状态

STUDIES ON ORIENTATION AND STATE OF PURPLE MEMBRANE FRAGMENTS IMMOBILIZED IN HYDROCEL

用几种光谱学方法研究了紫膜凝胶的定向度、生色团视黄醛的状态以及其光循环中间产物M的动力学过程。结果表明:用通常采用的制备方法所得到的紫膜凝胶虽然能得到光电响应信号,但其定向度并不理想,生色团视黄醛的构象受到较大扰动,光循环中间产物M的产出及衰减也受到抑制,部分样品甚至由于其视黄醛的脱落而完全失去颜色,其质子泵功能也随之丧失。这说明虽然紫膜凝胶是目前研究紫膜质子泵机理(光电响应测量)和构造分子电子器件较好的和有希望的人工膜系统之一,但由于该系统对紫膜结构和功能的扰动仍然较大,紫膜的定向较难控制,所以,我们仍需在凝胶的形成体系及方法的改进上作大量工作。

The orientation of Purple Membrane fragments, state of retinal chromop- hore and kinetic process of M412 in PM-Gel were studied by several spectros-copic met tods. Photoelectric response signals are availible from PM-Gel made by normal method. But we have learned in the experiment that these samples have some defects, for instances, the orientation of PM fragments is unsatisfied, the conformation of retinal is seriously disturbed and the yield and decay of M412 are strongly inhibited. All our experimental results suggest that, although PM-Gel is one of the best and most hopeful materials for the research of proton pumping mechanism and construction of molecular electronic devices, we still have to make great efforts to improve this model system.