Masae Konno

AI-enabled rhodopsin design for blue-light enhanced bacterial growth

This study uses AI to design novel microbial rhodopsins that absorb blue light and enhance bacterial growth.

The bacterial schizorhodopsins: novel light-driven inward proton pumps from Antarctic Minisyncoccota (Patescibacteria) and cyanobacteria, with implications for the proton-pumping mechanism

The paper identifies and characterizes two novel bacterial schizorhodopsins from Antarctic sources, demonstrating their inward proton-pumping activity and revealing distinct evolutionary and functional features.

Light-harvesting by antenna-containing xanthorhodopsin from an Antarctic cyanobacterium

The paper identifies widespread xanthorhodopsin genes in cyanobacteria and characterizes a unique variant from an Antarctic cyanobacterium that binds hydroxylated lutein, enhancing light-harvesting efficiency in extreme environments.

Cryo-EM Structures of Methanogenic Schizorhodopsins Reveal Divergent Strategies for Proton Transport and Thermal Adaptation

The paper reports cryo-EM structures of two methanogenic Schizorhodopsins, revealing distinct proton transport mechanisms and structural adaptations for thermal stability.

Functional characterization of red-shifted rhodopsin channels from giant viruses explored by a machine-learning model for long-wavelength optogenetics

The paper uses a machine-learning model to predict red-shifted channelrhodopsin variants, identifying ChR024 with a maximum absorption wavelength of ~578 nm for optogenetics.

Light-harvesting by antenna-containing rhodopsins in pelagic Asgard archaea

The paper reports light energy transfer from hydroxylated carotenoids to heimdallarchaeial rhodopsins in marine archaea, showing light-harvesting capabilities in archaea similar to bacterial rhodopsins.