Molekuláris biofizikai kutatócsoport
Research activities:
General interest: structure, function and dynamics of membrane proteins;
biological energy transduction (bioenergetics)
Focus: how a special redox protein, the reaction center (RC) proteins of photosynthesis converts the energy of the sun into other forms of energy with high efficiency; this process is the basis and initial point of the terrestrial life;
Connected research subjects: light-induced structural changes, electron and proton transfer processes, electrostatics and quinone function/herbicide action in photosynthetic purple bacteria; how to gain physiological data and how to estimate the photosynthetic capacity of intact cells; protection against high light intensity and heavy metal pollution;
Central methods: laser light-induced absorption and fluorescence changes of photosynthetic bacteria
Some selected recent results:
- One of the first site-directed mutations engineered in RCs of photosynthetic bacteria
E. Takahashi, P. Maróti, C.A. Wraight: Site-directed mutagenesis of Rb. sphaeroides reaction center: the role of tyrosin L222. In "Current Research in Photosynthesis", M. Baltscheffsky (ed.) Vol. I. , Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 169-172, (1990).
D. Onidas, G. Sipka, E. Asztalos, P. Maróti : Mutational Control of Bioenergetics of Bacterial Reaction Center Probed by Delayed Fluorescence, Biochim. Biophys. Acta Bioenergetics, 1827 1191-1199 (2013).
- The protein dynamics limits the kinetics of light-induced proton binding to RC
P. Maróti and C.A. Wraight: Kinetics of H+-ion binding by the P+QA– state of the bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers: Rate limitation within the protein. Biophysical Journal 73 367-381 (1997)
- Construction of novel devices to measure
- delayed fluorescence of bacterial RC
K. Turzó, G. Laczkó, Z. Filus, P. Maróti: Quinone-dependent delayed fluorescence from reaction center of photosynthetic bacteria. Biophys. J. 79 (1): 14-25 (2000).
- fluorescence induction and relaxation of bacteria
P. Kocsis, E. Asztalos, Z. Gingl, P. Maróti: Kinetic bacteriochlorophyll fluorometer. Photosynt Res 105, 73-82 (2010)
- The heavy metal pollution of water can be detected by detection of the fluorescence induction and relaxation of bacteriochlorophyll of photosynthetic bacteria and the method can be used for biomonitoring and biomediation of the polluted aqueous habitat.
E. Asztalos, F. Italiano, F. Milano, P. Maróti, M. Trotta: Early detection of mercury contamination by fluorescence induction of photosynthetic bacteria. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 9, 1218-1223 (2010).
E. Asztalos, G. Sipka, M. Kis, M. Trotta, P. Maróti: The reaction center is the sensitive target of the mercury(II) ion in intact cells of photosynthetic bacteria. Phototosynthesis Research, Vol. 112, Number 2, pp 129-140 (2012).
Publications (2009-2013)
Anne Pilotelle-Bunner, Patricia Beaunier, Julia Tandori, Péter Maróti, Ronald J. Clarke & Pierre Sebban: The local electric field within phospholipid membranes modulates the charge transfer reactions in reaction centres. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1787, 1444-1450 (2009).
IF: 3.835
Hélène Cheap, Sophie Bernad, Valérie Derrien, László Gerencsér, Júlia Tandori, Pedro de Oliveira, Deborah K. Hanson, Péter Maróti and Pierre Sebban: M234Glu is a component of the proton sponge in the reaction center from photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1787, 1505-1515 (2009).
IF.: 3.835
Emese Asztalos, Péter Maróti: Export or recombination of charges in reaction centers in intact cells of photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1787, 1444-1450 (2009).
IF.: 3.835
Asztalos Emese és Maróti Péter: Fotoszintetizáló baktériumok szinkrontenyésztése: molekuláris- és membránátrendezések. Magyar Biofiziksai Társaság (MBFT) XXIII. kongresszusa, Pécs, 2009. aug 23-26., 2009
Maróti Péter, Asztalos Emese és Laczkó Gábor: Fehérjéken belüli elektrontranszfer. MBFT XXIII. kongresszusa, Pécs, 2009. aug 23-26., 2009
Péter Kocsis, Emese Asztalos, Zoltán Gingl, Péter Maróti: Kinetic bacteriochlorophyll fluorometer. Photosyntesis Res 105, 73-82 (2010)
IF.: 3.139
E. Asztalos, F. Italiano, F. Milano, P. Maróti, M. Trotta: Early detection ofmercury contamination by fluorescence induction of photosynthetic bacteria. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 9, 1218-1223 (2010)
IF: 2,208
Emese Asztalos, Mariann Kis and Péter Maróti: Aging photosynthetic bacteria monitored by absorption and fluorescence changes. Acta Biologica Szegediensis vol. 54, 2, pp 149-154, (2010)
Péter Maróti and Emese Asztalos: Induction and relaxation of bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence: Electron transfer through reaction center in intact cells of photosynthetic bacteria. Abstract of the 15th International Congress of Photosynthesis, Beijing, China, 2010
Asztalos Emese, Kis Mariann és Maróti Péter: Oxigén-függő membránátalakulások Rhodobacter sphaeroides fotoszintetizáló baktériumokban In” Biophysics 40” (Ed. Vincze János), 209-218, Budapest, 2011
Maróti Péter, Asztalos Emese: A fotoszintetikus egységek közötti kapcsolat kvantitatív mértékének megállapítása fotoszintetizáló baktériumokban. In ” Biophysics 40” (Ed. Vincze János), 171-182, Budapest, 2011
P Maróti, E. Asztalos, M. Kis, Z. Gingl and M. Trotta: Biomonitoring the environment by photosynthetic bacteria 14th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology ESP 2011 – Geneva, Switzerland, September 1-6, 2011:
P. Maróti and E. Asztalos: Relaxation of bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence in intact cells of photosynthetic bacteria 8th EBSA European Biophysics Congress, Budapest, August 23-27, 2011: European Biophysics Journal with Biophysics letters, Vol. 40. pp. 178
E. Asztalos, Z. Gingl and P. Maróti: Field instrument for determination of the photosynthetic capacity of intact photosynthetic bacteria 8th EBSA European Biophysics Congress, Budapest, August 23-27, 2011:
European Biophysics Journal with Biophysics letters, Vol. 40. pp. 174
M. Kis, E. Asztalos, P. Maróti: Ontogenesis of photosynthetic bacteria tacked by absorption and fluorescence kinetics 8th EBSA European Biophysics Congress, Budapest, August 23-27, 2011: European Biophysics Journal with Biophysics letters, Vol. 40. pp. 177
Francesco Milano, Massimo Trotta, Márta Dorogi, Béla Fischer, Livia Giotta, Angela Agostiano, Péter Maróti, László Kálmán & László Nagy: Light induced transmembrane proton gradient in artifical lipid vesicles reconstituted with photosynthetic reaction centers. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes, Vol. 44, 373-384 (2012).
IF.: 2,634
Emese Asztalos, Gábor Sipka, Mariann Kis, Massimo Trotta & Péter Maróti: The reaction center is the sensitive target of the mercury(II) ion in intact cells of photosynthetic bacteria. Phtotosynthesis Research, Vol. 112, Number 2, pp 129-140 (2012)
IF: 3,139
Péter Maróti, Emese Asztalos: Calculation of Connectivity of Photosynthetic Units In Intact Cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Research for Food, Fuel and Future—15th International Conference on Photosynthesis, (ed: Congming Lu) 27-31, 2012
Emese Asztalos, Mariann Kis, Péter Maróti: Oxygen-dependent production and arrangements of the photosynthetic pigments in intact cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Research for Food, Fuel and Future—15th International Conference on Photosynthesis (ed. Congming Lu),32-36, 2012
Maróti P and Trotta M. Artifical Photosynthetic Systems. CRC Handbook of Organic Photochemistry and Photobiology, Third Edition, Vol.1-2, 1,694 Pages (Edited by Axel Griesbeck, University of Cologne, Germany, Michael Ölgemöller, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, Francesco Ghetti, CRC Instituto Biofisica, Pisa, Italy) Chapter 55, Volume II, pp 1289-1324, 2012, CRC Press, ISBN 978-1-4398-9936-6.
Maróti Péter: Biomechanika. PhD. Kurzusok fizikából (Szerk.: Hevesi Imre) VII. Fejezet, JGYTF nyomda, Szeged, 2012
P. Maróti, E. Asztalos, G. Sipka: Fluorescence Assay for Photosynthetic Capacity of Bacteria. Biophys J 104(2): 545a. (2013)
IF: 4,945
D. Onidas, G. Sipka, E. Asztalos, P. Maróti: Mutational control of bioenergetics of bacterial reaction center probed by delayed fluorescence. Biochim Biophys Acta, Bioenergetics, 1827 1191-1199 (2013).
Maróti P. Lasers in Biophysics. Angol nyelvű egyetemi elektronikus jegyzet. TÁMOP-4.1.2.A/1-11/1-2011-0013 (“Kimenet orientált képzésfejlesztés a Dél-Alföldi Régió szolgáltató egyetemén” című projekt)