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Active States of Rhodopsin
Author(s) -
Ernst Oliver P.,
Bartl Franz J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/1439-7633(20021004)3:10<968::aid-cbic968>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - rhodopsin , chromophore , opsin , chemistry , pigment , retinal , schiff base , visual phototransduction , biophysics , visual pigments , stereochemistry , photochemistry , biochemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Seeing the light : FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopies were used to investigate the differences between the photoisomers and signaling states of rhodopsin, the visual pigment of the vertebrate rod photoreceptor cell. Light‐induced conformational changes were observed in 11‐ cis ‐retinal, the chromophore bound within rhodopsin as a Schiff base. Isomers and analogues of this chromophore were modeled within the binding site of the apoprotein opsin (see figure) and proton transfers were found to play an important role in activation of rhodopsin.