On the photocycle of 4-ketobacteriorhodopsin.

The artificial pigment 4-ketobacteriorhodopsin is an interesting analog of bacteriorhodopsin. Arguments concerning the scheme of the photocycle of 4-ketobacteriorhodopsin are discussed.

Bacteriorhodopsin. Correspondence of the photocycle and electrogenesis with sites of the molecule.

Correspondence of phases of electrogenesis, photocycle transitions, and proton transfer with the proton transporting groups of bacteriorhodopsin was studied. The structure of bacteriorhodopsin was considered by the file 1c3w and projections of sites of the proton movement pathway onto the normal to the purple membrane were measured. The dielectric permeability of the terminal site of the semichannel Schiff base --> external surface of the purple membrane was noticeably higher than in the center of the membrane.

Synthesis and properties of bacteriorhodopsin analogs containing electron-density labels in the chromophore moiety.

A method for synthesis of retinal analogs labeled with electron-density groups is suggested. The interaction of these polyene compounds with bacterioopsin in apomembrane of Halobacterium salinarum was tested. A retinal analog containing a crown-ether receptor group is able to interact readily with bacterioopsin giving rise to rapid formation of a pigment with absorption maximum at 460 nm.

Photoelectrochemical cycle of bacteriorhodopsin.

The scheme of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle associated with a transmembrane proton transfer and electrogenesis is considered. The role of conformational changes in the polypeptide chain during the proton transport is discussed.

NMR imaging of mass transport and related phenomena in porous catalysts and sorbents.

NMR imaging is employed to study the preparation of supported catalysts and a number of mass transport processes in porous catalysts and sorbents. It is shown that, similar to Pt, adsorbed Pd leads to the increase of the relaxation times of liquids permeating porous alumina supports. A faster penetration of adsorbed water into the sorbent is observed when water vapor sorption by selective water sorbents is carried out under vacuum as compared to the sorption from moist air.