Abstract
VISUAL receptor rod outer segments transduce the energy of absorbed photons into nerve signals. These membranous organelles can be isolated in quantities sufficient for biochemical studies, and are a favourable preparation for studying the chemistry of sensory nerve membrane excitation. Unlike other nerve membrane systems they contain an excitable protein component which binds an easily identified prosthetic group. This prosthetic group, 11-cis-retinaldehyde, combines with the protein opsin to form the light sensitive visual pigment rhodopsin. Retinaldehyde has been used as a label in the isolation arid analysis of the opsin protein1–3. Opsins prepared from frog, cattle and rat outer segment membranes by detergent solubilization and column chromatography are now reported to have molecular weights in the range of 27,000 to 40,000 g per mole of retinaldehyde bound3–6. These opsins are thought to constitute a significant fraction of the total protein present in outer segment membranes6–8.
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BOWNDS, D., GAIDE-HUGUENIN, A. Rhodopsin Content of Frog Photoreceptor Outer Segments. Nature 225, 870–872 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225870a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/225870a0
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