Thematic Minireview Series on Focus on Vision

Krzysztof Palczewski

doi:10.1074/jbc.r111.322347

Abstract

Thematic Minireview Series on Focus on Vision

Highlights

Photon absorption and visual signaling occur in the outer segments, ciliary organelles of rods and cones tightly packed with stacks of membranous discs containing extremely high densities of visual pigments and other signaling proteins such as those in the associated G-protein cascade
In the third minireview, entitled “Metabolism of Carotenoids and Retinoids Related to Vision,” Johannes von Lintig discusses the biochemical pathways by which different animal classes metabolically process this reactive compound
Knowledge about the basic chemistry of vision should help develop strategies to combat ocular diseases associated with aberrant chromophore metabolism

Summary

Introduction

Photon absorption and visual signaling occur in the outer segments, ciliary organelles of rods and cones tightly packed with stacks of membranous discs containing extremely high densities of visual pigments and other signaling proteins such as those in the associated G-protein cascade. 11-cis-retinal, which is photoisomerized to all-trans-retinal, is continuously regenerated through the retinoid (visual) cycle. In the first minireview of this thematic series, entitled “Chemistry and Biology of Vision,” I describe the visual system from both chemical and structural perspectives.

Results

Conclusion