Isolation of a new Pseudomonas halophila strain possess bacteriorhodopsin-like protein by a novel method for screening of photoactive protein producing bacteria.

Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is a transmembrane protein deposited in the purple membrane of Halobacterium salinarum which absorbs energy from photons to create a photo-induced proton gradient across the membrane. A bR molecule can be considered as a natural solar device transforming light into other types of energy and therefore is of interest for a wide range of applications including two and three-dimensional memory storage, optical data processing, artificial cells, holographic media, the artificial retina and photo sensor devices. H. salinarum is a slow-growing, halophilic Archaea present in red salt waters. The present study introduces a novel bR-like pigment from a new strain of Pseudomonas halophila (with registered accession number KC959570 in the NCBI databank) which has a very significant degree of light-dependent activity. This is the first report on the presence of functional bR-like protein in the Pseudomonas family. The isolate is a fast-growing, halophilic bacterium and is comparable with other photoactive protein producer microorganisms. Also, in the present study a novel isolation method for screen light-stimulating protein producing microorganisms is introduced. For this purpose 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) was employed for the first time as an artificial hydrogen acceptor in the proton-transfer processes. The TTC test is an easy and susceptible method for estimating hydrogen production during the proton transport process. This is the first report of the use of TTC for photo activity measurement and selection of bacteria containing light dependent proteins.