VIBRATIONAL-SPECTRA OF BLUE-MEMBRANE BACTERIORHODOPSIN - PICOSECOND RESONANCE COHERENT ANTI-STOKES-RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

Vibrational spectra of bacteriorhodopsin (BR) in its deionized form (b lue-membrane BR) were measured via picosecond resonance coherent anti- Stokes Raman scattering (PR/CARS). More than 18 vibrational bands in t he 750-1650 cm(-1) region not previously assigned were observed. Compa risons of these PR/CARS spectra with vibrational data recorded from BR species containing either an all-tuans (i.e. BR-570) or 13-cis retina l (e.g. BR-548 found in dark-adapted BR and the picosecond BR intermed iate K-590) were used to characterise more fully isomeric forms of the retinal chromophore found in blue-membrane BR. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.