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Related Concept Videos

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
The Retina01:32

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The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.
Channel Rhodopsins01:11

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Most organisms use photoreceptors to sense and respond to light. Examples of photoreceptors include bacteriorhodopsins and bacteriophytochromes in some bacteria, phytochromes in plants, and rhodopsins in the photoreceptor cells of the vertebral retina. The light-sensitive property of these receptors is because of the bound chromophores, such as bilin in the phytochromes and retinal in the rhodopsins.
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The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
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Reaction centers are pigment-protein complexes that initiate energy conversion from photons to chemical entities. Therefore, photochemical reaction center is a more appropriate term that describes these complexes. The Nobel laureates Robert Emerson and William Arnold provided the first experimental evidence of photochemical reaction centers by demonstrating the participation of nearly 2,500 chlorophyll molecules for the release of just one molecule of oxygen. Despite thousands of photosynthetic...

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Quantitative Analysis of Dietary Vitamin A Metabolites in Murine Ocular and Non-Ocular Tissues Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
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Retinol dehydrogenases (RDHs) in the visual cycle.

Ryan O Parker1, Rosalie K Crouch

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, 167 Ashley Avenue Charleston, SC 29403, United States. parkerry@musc.edu

Experimental Eye Research
|August 31, 2010
PubMed
Summary

The visual cycle converts all-trans retinal to 11-cis retinal, essential for vision. This review clarifies the specific retinol dehydrogenase (RDH) enzymes involved in these crucial reduction and oxidation reactions.

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Published on: December 22, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Vision Science

Background:

  • The visual cycle regenerates 11-cis retinal, the chromophore for light detection, after its photoisomerization to all-trans retinal.
  • This cycle involves reduction and oxidation steps catalyzed by retinol dehydrogenase (RDH) enzymes, crucial for photoreceptor function in constant light.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the characteristics of individual RDH enzymes.
  • To elucidate the specific roles of different RDHs in the visual cycle using in vitro data and knockout models.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro characterization of RDH enzyme activity.
  • Analysis of findings from RDH knockout animal models.

Main Results:

  • RDH8 is the primary enzyme for all-trans retinal reduction in rods, with potential RDH12 involvement.
  • retSDR1 is implicated in all-trans retinal reduction in cones.
  • RDH5, possibly assisted by RDH11 and RDH10, catalyzes 11-cis retinol oxidation in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).

Conclusions:

  • While multiple RDHs can catalyze visual cycle reactions, specific enzymes are predominantly responsible for key steps.
  • Understanding these specific RDH roles is vital for comprehending the entire visual cycle mechanism and potential therapeutic targets.