Draft genome sequences of three rhodopsin possessing sp. strains, isolated from the sea surface microlayer in Japan.

Here, we present the draft genome sequences of three sp. strains containing microbial rhodopsins, isolated from the Japanese coastal sea surface microlayer, which is exposed to intense sunlight. This study will contribute to the understanding of the genus and the diversity of microbial rhodopsins.

Widespread use of proton-pumping rhodopsin in Antarctic phytoplankton.

Photosynthetic carbon (C) fixation by phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean (SO) plays a critical role in regulating air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide and thus global climate. In the SO, photosynthesis (PS) is often constrained by low iron, low temperatures, and low but highly variable light intensities. Recently, proton-pumping rhodopsins (PPRs) were identified in marine phytoplankton, providing an alternate iron-free, light-driven source of cellular energy.

Phototrophy by antenna-containing rhodopsin pumps in aquatic environments.

Energy transfer from light-harvesting ketocarotenoids to the light-driven proton pump xanthorhodopsins has been previously demonstrated in two unique cases: an extreme halophilic bacterium and a terrestrial cyanobacterium. Attempts to find carotenoids that bind and transfer energy to abundant rhodopsin proton pumps from marine photoheterotrophs have thus far failed. Here we detected light energy transfer from the widespread hydroxylated carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein to the retinal moiety of xanthorhodopsins and proteorhodopsins using functional metagenomics combined with chromophore extraction from the environment.

Factor Structure of the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory for Thai Students Learning Japanese.

The theoretical five-factor model for the 35-item Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) has rarely been examined empirically, despite its wide use to investigate language learning beliefs. This study examined the BALLI's dimensional structure with a sample of undergraduate students at a Thai university ( N = 537; male 43.4%, female 56.