Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

11.2K
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,...
11.2K
Channel Rhodopsins01:11

Channel Rhodopsins

3.5K
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.
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...
3.5K
The Retina01:32

The Retina

78.7K
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.
78.7K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

11.9K
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...
11.9K
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

7.2K
GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory...
7.2K
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:26

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

2.4K
The absorption of UV–visible light by conjugated systems causes the promotion of an electron from the ground state to the excited state. Consequently, photochemical electrocyclic reactions proceed via the excited-state HOMO rather than the ground-state HOMO. Since the ground- and excited-state HOMOs have different symmetries, the stereochemical outcome of electrocyclic reactions depends on the mode of activation; i.e., thermal or photochemical.
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
2.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

ModBind<sub>dG</sub>: A simulation-based absolute predictor of free energy of binding based on population reweighting.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal Potential Role of Cardiolipin in Lateral Organization of Proteorhodopsin.

Biochemistry·2025
Same author

Structure Characterization of a Disordered Peptide Using In-Droplet Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Dynamics.

ACS physical chemistry Au·2025
Same author

ModBind, a Rapid Simulation-Based Predictor of Ligand Binding and Off-Rates.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2024
Same author

Long-Time Scale Simulations Reveal Key Dynamics That Drive the Onset of the N State in the Proteorhodopsin Photocycle.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2024
Same author

Neutron spin echo shows pHLIP is capable of retarding membrane thickness fluctuations.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 9, 2026

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis
12:11

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis

Published on: January 16, 2019

7.0K

Retinal Flip in Rhodopsin Activation?

Jun Feng1, Michael F Brown2, Blake Mertz1

  • 1The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Biophysical Journal
|June 18, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Rhodopsin

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Rhodopsin, a G protein-coupled receptor, activates via retinal photoisomerization.
  • The active Meta-II state exhibits a surprising 180° retinal rotation.
  • Understanding this rotation is key to rhodopsin activation mechanisms.

Discussion:

  • Microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
  • Simulations reveal retinal cofactor can revert to its inactive orientation.
  • This occurs under conditions favoring the Meta-I state.

Key Insights:

  • First molecular dynamics evidence of retinal ligand rotation during rhodopsin activation.
  • Demonstrates a dynamic mechanism for ligand repositioning within the binding pocket.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Vitamin A Transport Mechanisms &#8212; Linking Liver Receptors to Vision Health Through RBPR2 and RBP4 Interactions
08:18

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Vitamin A Transport Mechanisms — Linking Liver Receptors to Vision Health Through RBPR2 and RBP4 Interactions

Published on: October 4, 2024

1.6K
Preparation of Living Isolated Vertebrate Photoreceptor Cells for Fluorescence Imaging
11:24

Preparation of Living Isolated Vertebrate Photoreceptor Cells for Fluorescence Imaging

Published on: June 22, 2011

13.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 9, 2026

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis
12:11

A Rhodopsin Transport Assay by High-Content Imaging Analysis

Published on: January 16, 2019

7.0K
Author Spotlight: Unraveling Vitamin A Transport Mechanisms &#8212; Linking Liver Receptors to Vision Health Through RBPR2 and RBP4 Interactions
08:18

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Vitamin A Transport Mechanisms — Linking Liver Receptors to Vision Health Through RBPR2 and RBP4 Interactions

Published on: October 4, 2024

1.6K
Preparation of Living Isolated Vertebrate Photoreceptor Cells for Fluorescence Imaging
11:24

Preparation of Living Isolated Vertebrate Photoreceptor Cells for Fluorescence Imaging

Published on: June 22, 2011

13.0K
  • Highlights the flexibility of the retinal cofactor in receptor signaling.

    • Outlook:

    • Further simulations can explore other G protein-coupled receptor activation pathways.
    • Investigating the energetic landscape of retinal rotation can refine models.
    • Experimental validation of simulated retinal dynamics is warranted.