biostudies-literatureInoue KGrant Agency of the Czech RepublicSTAR-UBB Advanced Fellowship-Internthe Louis and Lyra Richmond Memorial Chair in Life SciencesGrant-in-Aid for Scientific ResearchAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicRomanian National Authority for Scientific ResearchJapan Science and Technology Agency (JST), PRESTOeaaz2441https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7148096biostudies-literatureUnknown6(15)Schizorhodopsins (SzRs), a rhodopsin family first identified in Asgard archaea, the archaeal group closest to eukaryotes, are present at a phylogenetically intermediate position between typical microbial rhodopsins and heliorhodopsins. However, the biological function and molecular properties of SzRs have not been reported. Here, SzRs from Asgardarchaeota and from a yet unknown microorganism are expressed in <i>Escherichia coli</i> and mammalian cells, and ion transport assays and patch clamp analyses are used to demonstrate SzR as a novel type of light-driven inward H⁺ pump. The mutation of a cytoplasmic glutamate inhibited inward H⁺ transport, suggesting that it functions as a cytoplasmic H⁺ acceptor. The function, trimeric structure, and H⁺ trScience advancesSchizorhodopsins: A family of rhodopsins from Asgard archaea that function as light-driven inward H⁺ pumps.PMC714809617-04828SMSM200961801JPMJPR15P2JPMJPR1688PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-030317H0300717-04828 S15H02391 and 19H0495918K0610919H05389, 18H04512, and 18H01837Kandori HBulzu PAKonno MBeja OTomida SInoue KAndrei ASTsunoda SPHososhima SUchihashi TGhai RBanciu HLSingh MWatanabe HNakamura RfalseSchizorhodopsins: A family of rhodopsins from Asgard archaea that function as light-driven inward H⁺ pumps.Schizorhodopsins (SzRs), a rhodopsin family first identified in Asgard archaea, the archaeal group closest to eukaryotes, are present at a phylogenetically intermediate position between typical microbial rhodopsins and heliorhodopsins. However, the biological function and molecular properties of SzRs have not been reported. Here, SzRs from Asgardarchaeota and from a yet unknown microorganism are expressed in <i>Escherichia coli</i> and mammalian cells, and ion transport assays and patch clamp analyses are used to demonstrate SzR as a novel type of light-driven inward H⁺ pump. The mutation of a cytoplasmic glutamate inhibited inward H⁺ transport, suggesting that it functions as a cytoplasmic H⁺ acceptor. The function, trimeric structure, and H⁺ tr2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Apr2026-05-01T23:53:46.588Z2020-05-22T17:27:29ZS-EPMC71480963230065310.1126/sciadv.aaz2441