The discovery of proteorhodopsin genes during metagenomic analyses of marine bacteria and archaea challenged the notion that all solar energy is captured by microbial chlorophyll molecules in these environments. But have subsequent studies confirmed the energy-transducing roles of microbial proteorhodopsins? Here, the authors suggest that energy transduction might be one of many roles for these fascinating proteins.
- Jed A. Fuhrman
- Michael S. Schwalbach
- Ulrich Stingl
