At 90 K the photoproduct of the primary light reaction of trans-bacteriorhodopsin, the bathoproduct K', consists of a mixture of at least three spectrally different species, K;, K;, and K;,,, having maxima i n the difference absorption spectra at 645, 635 and 625 nm, respectivcly. The bathoproducts differ in their long wavelength absorption bands and in their rate constants for photoconversion to tram-bacteriorhodopsin under far red light irradiation (A > 720 nm). The bathoproducts are formed from different precursors+onformers of trans-bacteriorhodopsin, which are stable at 90 K, but are in equilibrium with each other at 213 K. We suggest that the bathoproducts may initiate parallel conversion cycles of trans-bacteriorhodopsin at low temperatures. The primary photoreaction of 13-cis-bacteriorhodopsin also yields three bathoproducts, K;, K;, and K;,,, having maxima in the difference absorption spectra at 615, 605 and 595 nm, respectively.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.