Characterization and analysis of frog photoreceptor membranes

Frog photoreceptor membranes contain 54,000 g of protein per mole of visual pigment chromophore, virtually all of it insoluble membrane protein. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis indicates one major polypeptide class, most likely the visual pigment apoprotein. Suspensions of these photoreceptor membranes accumulate calcium ions when ATP is present, a characteristic that may play a part in visual excitation.