Biogenesis of blowfly photoreceptor membranes is regulated by 11-cis-retinal

Biogenesis of photoreceptor membranes has been investigated by analyzing the rhodopsin and opsin content of microvillar photoreceptor membranes after injecting retinal isomers and radioactive amino acids into the compound eyes of carotenoid-deficient blowflies. The amount of rhodopsin in the membranes was measured photometrically in extracts of isolated rhabdoms. The opsin content of the membranes and the level of radioactive labelling of opsin were measured after separating the membrane proteins by dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the photoreceptor membrane of carotenoid-deficient flies the rhodopsin and opsin content is less than 4% of that in normal flies where opsin may constitute about 65% of the total membrane protein. In carotenoid-deficient flies the incorporation of rhodopsin into photoreceptor membranes is triggered by 11-cis-retinal but not all-trans retinal. After injection of 11-cis-retinal the opsin content of the photoreceptor membranes increases in parallel with the rhodopsin content. Radioactive labelling of opsin reveals that 11-cis-retinal triggers an incorporation of newly synthesized opsin into photoreceptor membranes whereas all-trans retinal does not induce the assembly of opsin into photoreceptor membranes. Light-dependent incorporation of radioactive labelled opsin into membranes with a high rhodopsin content shows that not only the visual pigment chromophore but also the opsin undergoes a light-dependent turnover. The findings raise the possibility that opsin synthesis in blowfly photoreceptors and consequently the assembly of photoreceptor membranes is regulated by 11-cis-retinal.