Proton motive force generated by microbial rhodopsin promotes extracellular electron transfer.

ABSTRACT: The primary limitation to the practicability of electroactive microorganisms in bioelectrochemical systems lies in their low extracellular electron transfer (EET) efficiency. The proton motive force (PMF) represents the electrochemical gradient of protons generated by electron transport and proton pumping across the cytoplasmic membrane, serving as a crucial energy transfer pathway in bacterial membranes. Nevertheless, the impact of PMF on the EET efficiency remains ambiguous, while the microbial rhodopsin offers a simple and efficient avenue for non-photosynthetic cells to harness PMF. Here, we studied the function of three microbial rhodopsins (Arch, Mac, and cR-1) in facilitating EET via their heterologous expression in S. oneidensis, a model electroactive microorganism. Among th

SUBMITTER: Ding W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11786069 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature