Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins
Membrane-bound or cytosolic light-sensitive proteins, playing a crucial role in energy- and signal-transduction processes of various photosynthetic microorganisms, have been optimized for sensing or harvesting light by myriads of years of evolution. Upon absorption of a photon, they undergo a usuall...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.547818/full |
| _version_ | 1818118363190132736 |
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| author | Szilvia Krekic Szilvia Krekic Tomás Zakar Zoltán Gombos Sándor Valkai Mark Mero László Zimányi Zsuzsanna Heiner András Dér |
| author_facet | Szilvia Krekic Szilvia Krekic Tomás Zakar Zoltán Gombos Sándor Valkai Mark Mero László Zimányi Zsuzsanna Heiner András Dér |
| author_sort | Szilvia Krekic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Membrane-bound or cytosolic light-sensitive proteins, playing a crucial role in energy- and signal-transduction processes of various photosynthetic microorganisms, have been optimized for sensing or harvesting light by myriads of years of evolution. Upon absorption of a photon, they undergo a usually cyclic reaction series of conformations, and the accompanying spectro-kinetic events assign robust nonlinear optical (NLO) properties for these chromoproteins. During recent years, they have attracted a considerable interest among researchers of the applied optics community as well, where finding the appropriate NLO material for a particular application is a pivotal task. Potential applications have emerged in various branches of photonics, including optical information storage and processing, higher-harmonic and white-light continuum generation, or biosensorics. In our earlier work, we also raised the possibility of using chromoproteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin (bR), as building blocks for the active elements of integrated optical (IO) circuits, where several organic and inorganic photonic materials have been considered as active components, but so far none of them has been deemed ideal for the purpose. In the current study, we investigate the linear and NLO properties of biofilms made of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) and bR. The kinetics of the photoreactions are monitored by time-resolved absorption experiments, while the refractive index of the films and its light-induced changes are measured using the Optical Waveguide Lightmode Spectroscopy (OWLS) and Z-scan techniques, respectively. The nonlinear refractive index and the refractive index change of both protein films were determined in the green spectral range in a wide range of intensities and at various laser repetition rates. The nonlinear refractive index and refractive index change of PYP were compared to those of bR, with respect to photonics applications. Our results imply that the NLO properties of these proteins make them promising candidates for utilization in applied photonics, and they should be considered as valid alternatives for active components of IO circuits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:53:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0950408555154272987dcb88b041f1bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:53:07Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-0950408555154272987dcb88b041f1bb2022-12-22T01:20:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2020-10-011110.3389/fpls.2020.547818547818Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial ChromoproteinsSzilvia Krekic0Szilvia Krekic1Tomás Zakar2Zoltán Gombos3Sándor Valkai4Mark Mero5László Zimányi6Zsuzsanna Heiner7András Dér8Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HungaryDoctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, HungaryInstitute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HungaryInstitute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HungaryInstitute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HungaryMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy, Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HungarySchool of Analytical Sciences Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HungaryMembrane-bound or cytosolic light-sensitive proteins, playing a crucial role in energy- and signal-transduction processes of various photosynthetic microorganisms, have been optimized for sensing or harvesting light by myriads of years of evolution. Upon absorption of a photon, they undergo a usually cyclic reaction series of conformations, and the accompanying spectro-kinetic events assign robust nonlinear optical (NLO) properties for these chromoproteins. During recent years, they have attracted a considerable interest among researchers of the applied optics community as well, where finding the appropriate NLO material for a particular application is a pivotal task. Potential applications have emerged in various branches of photonics, including optical information storage and processing, higher-harmonic and white-light continuum generation, or biosensorics. In our earlier work, we also raised the possibility of using chromoproteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin (bR), as building blocks for the active elements of integrated optical (IO) circuits, where several organic and inorganic photonic materials have been considered as active components, but so far none of them has been deemed ideal for the purpose. In the current study, we investigate the linear and NLO properties of biofilms made of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) and bR. The kinetics of the photoreactions are monitored by time-resolved absorption experiments, while the refractive index of the films and its light-induced changes are measured using the Optical Waveguide Lightmode Spectroscopy (OWLS) and Z-scan techniques, respectively. The nonlinear refractive index and the refractive index change of both protein films were determined in the green spectral range in a wide range of intensities and at various laser repetition rates. The nonlinear refractive index and refractive index change of PYP were compared to those of bR, with respect to photonics applications. Our results imply that the NLO properties of these proteins make them promising candidates for utilization in applied photonics, and they should be considered as valid alternatives for active components of IO circuits.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.547818/fullZ-scanbacteriorhodopsinphotoactive yellow proteinnonlinear refractive indexsaturable absorptionphoto-induced refractive index change |
| spellingShingle | Szilvia Krekic Szilvia Krekic Tomás Zakar Zoltán Gombos Sándor Valkai Mark Mero László Zimányi Zsuzsanna Heiner András Dér Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins Frontiers in Plant Science Z-scan bacteriorhodopsin photoactive yellow protein nonlinear refractive index saturable absorption photo-induced refractive index change |
| title | Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins |
| title_full | Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins |
| title_fullStr | Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins |
| title_short | Nonlinear Optical Investigation of Microbial Chromoproteins |
| title_sort | nonlinear optical investigation of microbial chromoproteins |
| topic | Z-scan bacteriorhodopsin photoactive yellow protein nonlinear refractive index saturable absorption photo-induced refractive index change |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.547818/full |
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