Spectral data are scrutinized on two properties:(1) the chromophore-induced wavelength
shift, ie the variation in absorbance maximum (λ max) upon exchanging the vitamin A 1 …

Vertebrate rod and cone photoreceptors detect light via a specialized organelle called the
outer segment. This structure is packed with light-sensitive molecules known as visual …

Absorbance spectra were recorded by microspectrophotometry from 39 different rod and
cone types representing amphibians, reptiles, and fishes, with A1-or A2-based visual …

Proton-pumping rhodopsins (PPRs) are photoactive retinal-binding proteins that transport
ions across biological membranes in response to light. These proteins are interesting for …

We employed a morphological assay of outer segment collapse to determine if growth
factors or other supplements directly affect dissociated rod photoreceptors in vitro. The …

Publisher Summary This chapter is focused on the understanding of the molecular
mechanism of the primary events that initiate visual excitation. The goals are to provide an …

The neotenic tiger salamander retina is a major model system for the study of retinal
physiology and circuitry, yet there are unresolved issues regarding the organization of the …

Although a given retina typically contains several visual pigments, each formed from a
retinal chromophore bound to a specific opsin protein, single photoreceptor cells have been …

THE sensitivity to light is low in many neonatal mammals when compared with that in the
adult. In human infants at one month of age, for example, the dark-adapted sensitivity for …

Micromanipulation by optical tweezers has been tested in cultures of mature isolated retinal
cells to determine its potential for use in creating synaptic circuits in vitro. Rod and cone …