Spudich J L, Bogomolni R A
Nature. 1984;312(5994):509-13. doi: 10.1038/312509a0.
A photosensitive protein resembling the visual pigments of invertebrates enables phototactic archaebacteria to distinguish colour. This protein exists in two spectrally-distinct forms, one of which is a transient photoproduct of the other and each of which undergoes photochemical reactions controlling the cell's swimming behaviour. Activation of a single pigment molecule in the cell is sufficient to signal the flagellar motor. This signal-transduction mechanism makes evident a colour-sensing capability inherent in the retinal/protein chromophore.
一种类似于无脊椎动物视觉色素的光敏蛋白使趋光性古细菌能够区分颜色。这种蛋白质以两种光谱不同的形式存在,其中一种是另一种的瞬时光产物,并且每种形式都会发生控制细胞游动行为的光化学反应。细胞中单个色素分子的激活足以向鞭毛马达发出信号。这种信号转导机制揭示了视网膜/蛋白质发色团固有的颜色感知能力。