J. Mol. Biol.

Sensory rhodopsin II, a repellent phototaxis receptor from Natronobacterium pharaonis (NpSRII) forms a tight complex with its cognate transducer (NpHtrII). Light excitation of the receptor triggers conformational changes in both proteins, thereby activating the cellular two-component signalling cascade. In membranes, the two proteins form a 2:2 complex, which dissociates to a 1:1 heterodimer in micelles. Complexed to the transducer sensory rhodopsin II is no longer capable of light-driven proton pumping. In order to elucidate the dimerisation and the size of the receptor-binding domain of the transducer, isothermal titration calorimetry and electrophysiological experiments have been carried out. It is shown, that an N-terminal sequence of 114 amino acid residues is sufficient for tight binding (Kd=240nM; DeltaH=-17.6kJmol-1) and for inhibiting the proton transfer. These data and results obtained from selected site-directed mutants indicate a synergistic interplay of transducer transmembrane domain (1-82) and cytoplasmic peptide (83-114) leading to an optimal and specific interaction between receptor and transducer