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Context

• Microbial rhodopsins, as per a new study, are proposed to be major light capturers in the ocean.

Details

• Estimates suggest they may absorb as much light as chlorophyll-based photosynthesis in the sea, which also captures light to generate energy and food.
• However, their biological role in these organisms was unclear before the study.

Microbial rhodopsins

• Microbial rhodopsins, also known as bacterial rhodopsins, are retinal-binding proteins that provide light-dependent ion transport and sensory functions in halophilic and other bacteria.
• They are integral membrane proteins with seven transmembrane helices, the last of which contains the attachment point (a conserved lysine) for the retinal.s

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