Abstract
Visual pigments consist of a chromophore, 11-cis retinal, or 3-dehydroretinal, co-valently bound to a protein called an opsin [1]. The covalent bond involves a Schiff base between the terminal carbon in the polyene chain and the ε-amino group of one of the lysines in the protein. Visual pigments have a number of functions. Their primary role is to absorb light and then propagate the visual response but they may also be involved in other aspects of photoreceptor cell function [2]. It is generally accepted that the only action of light on the pigment is to photoisomerize the 11-cis chromophore to its all trans conformation which then leaves the protein in a series of dark reactions. As a result of this process the pigments lose their color since retinal isomers absorb in the ultraviolet (ca 370 nm). It appears then that there is a very specific chromophore-protein interaction which is responsible for the appearance of color upon pigment formation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Wald, G.: Science 162, 230–39 (1968).
For a recent review see Ebrey, T. G. and Honig, B.: Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics, in press (1975).
Honig, B. and Ebrey, T. G.: Ann. Rev. Biophys. Bioeng. 3, 151–177 (1974).
Mommaerts, W. F.: in B. R. Straatsma (ed.), The Retina, Univ. California Press, Los Angeles, 1969, pp. 225–34.
Fischer, M. F. and Weiss, K.: Photochem. Photobiol 20, 423–432 (1974).
Alchalel, A., Honig, B., Ottolenghi, M., and Rosenfeld, T.: J. Am. Chem. Soc., in press (1975).
Oseroff, A. R. and Callender, R. H.: Biochemistry 13, 4243–4248 (1974).
Busch, G. E., Applebury, M. L., Lamola, A. A., and Rentzepis, P. M.: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 2802–6 (1972).
Rosenfeld, T., Alchalel, A., and Ottolenghi, M.: Nature 240, 482–83 (1972).
Nelson, R., DeRiel, J., and Kropf, A.: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 66, 531–538 (1970).
Blatz, P., Lin, M., Balasubramaniyan, P., Balasubramaniyan, V., and Dewhurst, P. B.: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 91, 5930–31 (1970).
Chan, W., Nakanishi, K., Ebrey, T. G., and Honig, B.: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 96, 3642–3644 (1974).
Ebrey, T., Govindjee, R., Honig, B., Pollak, E., Chan, W., Crouch, R., Yudd, T., and Nakanishi, K.: Biochemistry, in press (1975).
Honig, B. and Karplus, M.: Nature 229, 558–60 (1971).
Gilardi, R. D., Karle, I. L., and Karle, J.: Acta. Crystallogr. B28, 2605–12 (1972).
Kropf, A. and Hubbard, R.: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 74, 266–80 (1958).
See, for example, the discussions in Suzuki, H.: Electronic Absorption Spectra and Geometry of Organic Molecules, Academic Press, New York, 1967, pp. 79–92 and 364–368.
Suzuki, H., Takizowa, N., and Komatsu, T.: Supplement of the Progress of Theoretical Physics 46, 16–39 (1970).
Blatz, P. E., Mohler, J. H., and Navangul, H. V.: Biochemistry 11, 848–55 (1972).
Dartnall, H. J. A.: Br. Med. Bull. 9, 24–30 (1953).
Liebman, P. A. and Entine, G.: Vision Res. 8, 761–775 (1968).
Liebman, P. A.: in M. G. F. Fuortes (ed.), Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1972, Vol. VII/2, pp. 481–528.
Malhotra, S. S. and Whiting, M. C.: J. Chem. Soc., 3812–3822 (1960).
Sperling, W.: in H. Langer (ed.), Biochemistry and Physiology of Visual Pigments, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1973, pp. 19–28.
Schaffer, A. M., Waddell, W. H., and Becker, R. S.: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 96, 2063–2068 (1974).
Dewar, M. J. S. and Morita, T.: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 91, 796–802 (1969).
McCoy, E. F. and Ross, I. G.: Australian J. Chem. 15, 573–90 (1962).
Suzuki, H., Komatsu, T., and Kitajima, H.: J. Phys. Soc. Japan 37, 177–185 (1974).
Wiesenfeld, J. R. and Abrahamson, E. W.: Photochem. Photobiol. 8, 487–493 (1968).
Waleh, A. and Ingraham, L. I.: Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 156, 261–66 (1973).
Mantione, M. J. and Pullman, B.: Int. J. Quant. Chem. 5, 349–60 (1971).
Dartnall, H. J. A.: in H. J. A. Dartnall (ed.) Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1972, Vol. VII/2, pp. 122–145.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1976 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht-Holland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Honig, B., Greenberg, A.D. (1976). Chromophore Protein Interactions in Visual Pigments and their Analogs. In: Pullman, B. (eds) Environmental Effects on Molecular Structure and Properties. The Jerusalem Symposia on Quantum Chemistry and Biochemistry, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1837-1_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1837-1_21
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-1839-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-1837-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive