SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF THE PHOTOCONVERSION PROCESS OF SQUID RHODOPSIN AT LIQUID HELIUM TEMPERATURE

Abstract

Abstract—The photoconversion process among squid rhodopsin, bathorhodopsin isorhodopsin and hypsorhodopsin was studied at liquid helium temperature. We evaluated the relative quantum yields of the photoconversion among four pigments by analysing the time‐dependent change of absorption spectra. The result suggests that hypsorhodopsin is the common intermediate of rhodopsin and isorhodopsin, and there is no direct conversion between rhodopsin and isorhodopsin. Furthermore, rhodopsin converts to hypsorhodopsin or bathorhodopsin much more efficiently than does isorhodopsin, and bathorhodopsin does not convert directly to hypsorhodopsin. It was also found that rhodopsin and isorhodopsin convert to bathorhodopsin more efficiently than to hypsorhodopsin. In particular, the quantum yield of conversion from rhodopsin to bathorhodopsin was found to be about twice as large as that from rhodopsin to hypsorhodopsin. This result is somewhat in disagreement with the result obtained from the laser flash experiments at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The reason for the difference between the two experimental results is discussed.