scholarly journals The 9-methyl group of retinal is essential for rapid Meta II decay and phototransduction quenching in red cones

2009 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen E. Estevez ◽  
Alexander V. Kolesnikov ◽  
Petri Ala-Laurila ◽  
Rosalie K. Crouch ◽  
Victor I. Govardovskii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Rapid Response ◽  
Rapid Decay ◽  
Rod Photoreceptors ◽  
Methyl Group ◽  
Response Recovery ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Dim Light

Cone photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina terminate their response to light much faster than rod photoreceptors. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this rapid response termination in cones are poorly understood. The experiments presented here tested two related hypotheses: first, that the rapid decay rate of metarhodopsin (Meta) II in red-sensitive cones depends on interactions between the 9-methyl group of retinal and the opsin part of the pigment molecule, and second, that rapid Meta II decay is critical for rapid recovery from saturation of red-sensitive cones after exposure to bright light. Microspectrophotometric measurements of pigment photolysis, microfluorometric measurements of retinol production, and single-cell electrophysiological recordings of flash responses of salamander cones were performed to test these hypotheses. In all cases, cones were bleached and their visual pigment was regenerated with either 11-cis retinal or with 11-cis 9-demethyl retinal, an analogue of retinal lacking the 9-methyl group. Meta II decay was four to five times slower and subsequent retinol production was three to four times slower in red-sensitive cones lacking the 9-methyl group of retinal. This was accompanied by a significant slowing of the recovery from saturation in cones lacking the 9-methyl group after exposure to bright (>0.1% visual pigment photoactivated) but not dim light. A mathematical model of the turn-off process of phototransduction revealed that the slower recovery of photoresponse can be explained by slower Meta decay of 9-demethyl visual pigment. These results demonstrate that the 9-methyl group of retinal is required for steric chromophore–opsin interactions that favor both the rapid decay of Meta II and the rapid response recovery after exposure to bright light in red-sensitive cones.

scholarly journals Turning Cones Off: the Role of the 9-Methyl Group of Retinal in Red Cones

2006 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 671-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen E. Estevez ◽  
Petri Ala-Laurila ◽  
Rosalie K. Crouch ◽  
M. Carter Cornwall
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Rapid Rate ◽  
Methyl Group ◽  
Cone Opsin ◽  
Rate Of Recovery ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Flash Response

Our ability to see in bright light depends critically on the rapid rate at which cone photoreceptors detect and adapt to changes in illumination. This is achieved, in part, by their rapid response termination. In this study, we investigate the hypothesis that this rapid termination of the response in red cones is dependent on interactions between the 9-methyl group of retinal and red cone opsin, which are required for timely metarhodopsin (Meta) II decay. We used single-cell electrical recordings of flash responses to assess the kinetics of response termination and to calculate guanylyl cyclase (GC) rates in salamander red cones containing native visual pigment as well as visual pigment regenerated with 11-cis 9-demethyl retinal, an analogue of retinal in which the 9-methyl group is missing. After exposure to bright light that photoactivated more than ∼0.2% of the pigment, red cones containing the analogue pigment had a slower recovery of both flash response amplitudes and GC rates (up to 10 times slower at high bleaches) than red cones containing 11-cis retinal. This finding is consistent with previously published biochemical data demonstrating that red cone opsin regenerated in vitro with 11-cis 9-demethyl retinal exhibited prolonged activation as a result of slowed Meta II decay. Our results suggest that two different mechanisms regulate the recovery of responsiveness in red cones after exposure to light. We propose a model in which the response recovery in red cones can be regulated (particularly at high light intensities) by the Meta II decay rate if that rate has been inhibited. In red cones, the interaction of the 9-methyl group of retinal with opsin promotes efficient Meta II decay and, thus, the rapid rate of recovery.

Effect of hydroxylamine on the subcellular distribution of arrestin (S-antigen) in rod photoreceptors

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Mangini ◽  
Grady L. Garner ◽  
Tinging L. Okajima ◽  
Larry A. Donoso ◽  
David R. Pepperberg
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Outer Segment ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Photoreceptor Outer Segment ◽  
Rod Photoreceptors ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Secondary Antibodies ◽  
Microscopic Image Processing

AbstractThe immunocytochemical labeling of arrestin (S-antigen) in photoreceptors of the ovine retina was examined following incubation of the retina with hydroxylamine (NH2OH), an agent known to inhibit the phosphorylation of photoactivated rhodopsin. Intact, isolated retinas bathed in medium containing 20 mM NH2OH, or in control medium lacking NH2OH, were maintained in darkness or exposed to bright light for 3 min (dark-adapted and light-adapted conditions, respectively); further incubated in darkness for 10 min; and then fixed and prepared for cryosectioning. Cryosections were incubated with anti-S-antigen monoclonal antibody MAb A2G5; with secondary antibodies that were conjugated with horseradish peroxidase; and with either 3–amino-9–ethyl carbazole or diaminobenzidine as chromogen. Anti-arrestin labeling in cryosections was then analyzed densitometrically using a light-microscopic image processing system. In dark-adapted control retinas, labeling density of the photoreceptor outer segment (OS) layer (0.061 ± 0.004; average ± S.e.m.) was less than that of the inner segment (IS) layer (0.138 ± 0.011). In light-adapted control retinas, OS labeling density (0.139 ± 0.007) exceeded IS labeling density (0.095 ± 0.005). Incubation with NH2OH eliminated this light-dependent increase in labeling of the OS relative to that of the IS, i.e. eliminated the increase in relative OS/IS labeling. Densities of labeling were 0.110 ± 0.006 (OS) and 0.183 ± 0.006 (IS) in NH2OH-treated dark-adapted retinas vs. 0.078 ± 0.004 (OS) and 0.182 ± 0.008 (IS) in NH2OH-treated light-adapted retinas. Anti-arrestin labeling was also examined in retinas that were exposed to 3 min or 13 min of bright light and then immediately fixed. Among retinas incubated in the absence of NH2OH, an increase in OS/IS labeling density was evident after 3 min of illumination, and retinas illuminated for 13 min exhibited an even larger increase in OS/IS labeling. An increase in OS/IS labeling was also exhibited by NH2OH-treated retinas that had been illuminated for 3 min; by comparison with dark-adapted NH2OH-treated controls (average value of OS/IS labeling: 0.60), OS/IS labeling in these illuminated retinas was 0.97. However, OS/IS labeling in NH2OH-treated retinas that had been illuminated for 13 min (average value: 0.35) was lower than that of the dark-adapted controls. The results indicate that, within intact rods, NH2OH inhibits the light-dependent increase in OS/IS anti-arrestin labeling that is ordinarily expressed at long times (~10 min) after major bleaching of the visual pigment. Among the possible bases for the effect of NH2OH are a reduction in the driving force for the movement of arrestin from the inner to the outer segment and/or a facilitation of the degradation of arrestin in the outer segment.

scholarly journals Recreated Ancestral Opsin Associated with Marine to Freshwater Croaker Invasion Reveals Kinetic and Spectral Adaptation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Van Nynatten ◽  
Gianni M Castiglione ◽  
Eduardo de A. Gutierrez ◽  
Nathan R Lovejoy ◽  
Belinda S W Chang
Keyword(s):  
Protein Function ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
South American ◽  
Rod Photoreceptors ◽  
Habitat Transition ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Ancestral Amino Acid ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Rhodopsin, the light-sensitive visual pigment expressed in rod photoreceptors, is specialized for vision in dim-light environments. Aquatic environments are particularly challenging for vision due to the spectrally dependent attenuation of light, which can differ greatly in marine and freshwater systems. Among fish lineages that have successfully colonized freshwater habitats from ancestrally marine environments, croakers are known as highly visual benthic predators. In this study, we isolate rhodopsins from a diversity of freshwater and marine croakers and find that strong positive selection in rhodopsin is associated with a marine to freshwater transition in South American croakers. In order to determine if this is accompanied by significant shifts in visual abilities, we resurrected ancestral rhodopsin sequences and tested the experimental properties of ancestral pigments bracketing this transition using in vitro spectroscopic assays. We found the ancestral freshwater croaker rhodopsin is redshifted relative to its marine ancestor, with mutations that recapitulate ancestral amino acid changes along this transitional branch resulting in faster kinetics that are likely to be associated with more rapid dark adaptation. This could be advantageous in freshwater due to the redshifted spectrum and relatively narrow interface and frequent transitions between bright and dim-light environments. This study is the first to experimentally demonstrate that positively selected substitutions in ancestral visual pigments alter protein function to freshwater visual environments following a transition from an ancestrally marine state and provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying some of the physiological changes associated with this major habitat transition.

scholarly journals The evolution of rod photoreceptors

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1717) ◽  
pp. 20160074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ala Morshedian ◽  
Gordon L. Fain
Keyword(s):  
Entire Range ◽  
Selection Pressure ◽  
Outer Segment ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Single Photons ◽  
Rod Photoreceptors ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Novel Protein

Photoreceptors in animals are generally of two kinds: the ciliary or c-type and the rhabdomeric or r-type. Although ciliary photoreceptors are found in many phyla, vertebrates seem to be unique in having two distinct kinds which together span the entire range of vision, from single photons to bright light. We ask why the principal photoreceptors of vertebrates are ciliary and not rhabdomeric, and how rods evolved from less sensitive cone-like photoreceptors to produce our duplex retina. We suggest that the principal advantage of vertebrate ciliary receptors is that they use less ATP than rhabdomeric photoreceptors. This difference may have provided sufficient selection pressure for the development of a completely ciliary eye. Although many of the details of rod evolution are still uncertain, present evidence indicates that (i) rods evolved very early before the split between the jawed and jawless vertebrates, (ii) outer-segment discs make no contribution to rod sensitivity but may have evolved to increase the efficiency of protein renewal, and (iii) evolution of the rod was incremental and multifaceted, produced by the formation of several novel protein isoforms and by changes in protein expression, with no one alteration having more than a few-fold effect on transduction activation or inactivation. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in dim light’.

scholarly journals Physiological and Microfluorometric Studies of Reduction and Clearance of Retinal in Bleached Rod Photoreceptors

2004 ◽  
Vol 124 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthymia Tsina ◽  
Chunhe Chen ◽  
Yiannis Koutalos ◽  
Petri Ala-Laurila ◽  
Marco Tsacopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Adaptation ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Proximal Region ◽  
Rod Photoreceptors ◽  
Outer Segments ◽  
Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein ◽  
Response Recovery ◽  
Electrophysiological Measurements ◽  
Rate Of Recovery ◽  
Flash Response

The visual cycle comprises a sequence of reactions that regenerate the visual pigment in photoreceptors during dark adaptation, starting with the reduction of all-trans retinal to all-trans retinol and its clearance from photoreceptors. We have followed the reduction of retinal and clearance of retinol within bleached outer segments of red rods isolated from salamander retina by measuring its intrinsic fluorescence. Following exposure to a bright light (bleach), increasing fluorescence intensity was observed to propagate along the outer segments in a direction from the proximal region adjacent to the inner segment toward the distal tip. Peak retinol fluorescence was achieved after ∼30 min, after which it declined very slowly. Clearance of retinol fluorescence is considerably accelerated by the presence of the exogenous lipophilic substances IRBP (interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein) and serum albumin. We have used simultaneous fluorometric and electrophysiological measurements to compare the rate of reduction of all-trans retinal to all-trans retinol to the rate of recovery of flash response amplitude in these cells in the presence and absence of IRBP. We find that flash response recovery in rods is modestly accelerated in the presence of extracellular IRBP. These results suggest such substances may participate in the clearance of retinoids from rod photoreceptors, and that this clearance, at least in rods, may facilitate dark adaptation by accelerating the clearance of photoproducts of bleaching.

Construction of PdO-decorated double-shell ZnSnO3 hollow microspheres for n-propanol detection at low temperature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyong Du ◽  
Dongxue Wang ◽  
Kuikun Gu ◽  
Mingzhe Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Rapid Response ◽  
Hollow Microspheres ◽  
Working Temperature ◽  
Response Recovery

The sensor based on 4 wt% PdO-loaded double-shell ZnSnO3 hollow microspheres shows rapid response/recovery speed to n-propanol at low working temperature.

If You’re Happy and You Know it Stay Alert: The Effects of Lighting on Vigilance Performance and Affective State

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 854-858
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Monroe ◽  
Samantha L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Affective State ◽  
Light Condition ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Speed Of Information Processing ◽  
Attention Tasks ◽  
High Workload ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Over Time

Vigilance, or sustained attention tasks involve detecting critical signals, embedded amid more frequent neutral signals, over an extended period of time. A decline in performance, engagement, and arousal over time, as well as high workload and stress, are common outcomes of such tasks. Exposure to broad-spectrum or short wavelength bright light has been found to positively impact alertness, speed of information processing, and mood, but has not been extensively explored in the vigilance domain. The present study explored whether a light therapy lamp could mitigate the negative vigilance outcomes found in both performance and affective state. Results indicated that the therapy light did not prevent a decline in detection of critical signals over time, nor significantly impact workload, sleepiness, or subjective stress state compared to a dim light condition. However, mood questionnaire results suggest that lighting may impact separate constructs of arousal and tiredness, warranting further research.

Spectral absorbance, structure, and population density of photoreceptors in the retina of the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Sillman ◽  
E.K. Ong ◽  
E.R. Loew
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Lake Sturgeon ◽  
Acipenser Fulvescens ◽  
Long Wavelength ◽  
Rods And Cones ◽  
The North ◽  
Spectral Absorbance ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Scanning Electron

Lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) photoreceptors were studied with scanning electron microscopy and microspectrophotometry. The retina contains both rods and cones, with cones estimated composing about 30% of the photoreceptor population. Only large single cones were identified and they are similar to those found in other species of the order Acipenseriformes. The rods are large, with long, broad outer segments, and are similar to the dominant rod found in other sturgeons and the North American paddlefish ( Polyodon spathula (Walbaum, 1792)). Mean (SD) rod packing density at 22 624 ± 3 509 rods/mm2 is low compared with those of other animals that function primarily in dim light. The visual pigment of the rods has a mean (SD) peak absorbance (λmax) at 541 ± 2 nm. Three different cone populations were identified: a long wavelength sensitive cone containing a visual pigment with λmax at 619 ± 3 nm; middle wavelength sensitive cone with λmax at 538 ± 1 nm; and short wavelength sensitive cone with λmax at 448 ± 1 nm. All the visual pigments are based on the vitamin A2 chromophore.

Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder with Light in the Evening

1985 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven P. James ◽  
Thomas A. Wehr ◽  
David A. Sack ◽  
Barbara L. Parry ◽  
Norman E. Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Comparison Study ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Effect Of Light

A cross-over comparison study of exposure, in the evenings only, to bright versus dim light was carried out on nine female patients with seasonal affective disorder. A significant antidepressant effect of the bright lights was shown. No consistent observable effects were produced by the dim lights. These results support earlier studies demonstrating the efficacy of bright light given morning and evening. The antidepressant effect of light is not mediated by sleep deprivation, and the early morning hours are not crucial for a response.

The relationship between ambient lighting conditions, absolute dark-adapted thresholds, and rhodopsin in black and hypopigmented mice

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 925-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
GERARD H. DALY ◽  
JESSICA M. DILEONARDO ◽  
NATALIE R. BALKEMA ◽  
GRANT W. BALKEMA
Keyword(s):  
Bright Light ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Segment Length ◽  
Single Strain ◽  
Photoreceptor Layer ◽  
Lighting Conditions ◽  
Ambient Lighting ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Albino Mice ◽  
The Relationship

Significant variation in absolute dark-adapted thresholds is observed both within and between strains of mice with differing ocular pigmentation levels. Differences in threshold within a single strain are related to the Williams' photostasis effect, that is, photoreceptor rhodopsin levels are dependent upon ambient lighting conditions. To examine threshold differences among strains, we equalized rhodopsin levels by maintaining albino mice (c2J/c2J) at 2 × 10−4 cd/m2 (dim light) and black mice at 2 × 102 cd/m2 (bright light). This resulted in ocular rhodopsin levels for albino mice (albino—dim) of 494 ± 11 pmoles/eye and rhodopsin levels for black mice (black—bright) of 506 ± 25 pmoles/eye. For comparison, rhodopsin levels in black mice maintained in dim light are 586 ± 46 pmoles/eye and 217 ± 46 pmoles/eye in albino mice maintained in bright light. We found similar dark-adapted thresholds (6.38 log cd/m2vs. 6.47 log cd/m2)) in albino and black mice with equivalent rhodopsin determined with a water maze test. This suggests that dark-adapted thresholds are directly related to rhodopsin levels regardless of the level of ocular melanin. The number of photoreceptors, photoreceptor layer thickness, and outer segment length did not differ significantly between albino (dark) and black mice (bright). These results demonstrate that the visual sensitivity defect found in hypopigmented animals is secondary to abnormal rhodopsin regulation and that hypopigmented animals have either an improper input to the photostasis mechanism or that the photostasis mechanism is defective.

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