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Molecular basis of dark adaptation in rod photoreceptors. 1998

C S Leibrock, and T Reuter, and T D Lamb
Department of Physiology, University of Cambridge, UK. tdl1@cam.ac.uk

Following exposure of the eye to an intense light that 'bleaches' a significant fraction of the rhodopsin, one's visual threshold is initially greatly elevated, and takes tens of minutes to recover to normal. The elevation of visual threshold arises from events occurring within the rod photoreceptors, and the underlying molecular basis of these events and of the rod's recovery is now becoming clearer. Results obtained by exposing isolated toad rods to hydroxylamine solution indicate that, following small bleaches, the primary intermediate causing elevation of visual threshold is metarhodopsin II, in its phosphorylated and arrestin-bound form. This product activates transduction with an efficacy about 100 times greater than that of opsin.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002024 Bufo marinus A species of the true toads, Bufonidae, becoming fairly common in the southern United States and almost pantropical. The secretions from the skin glands of this species are very toxic to animals. Rhinella marina,Toad, Giant,Toad, Marine,Giant Toad,Giant Toads,Marine Toad,Marine Toads,Toads, Giant,Toads, Marine
D003623 Dark Adaptation Adjustment of the eyes under conditions of low light. The sensitivity of the eye to light is increased during dark adaptation. Scotopic Adaptation,Adaptation, Dark,Adaptation, Scotopic
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012243 Rhodopsin A purplish-red, light-sensitive pigment found in RETINAL ROD CELLS of most vertebrates. It is a complex consisting of a molecule of ROD OPSIN and a molecule of 11-cis retinal (RETINALDEHYDE). Rhodopsin exhibits peak absorption wavelength at about 500 nm. Visual Purple
D017948 Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells Photosensitive afferent neurons located in the peripheral retina, with their density increases radially away from the FOVEA CENTRALIS. Being much more sensitive to light than the RETINAL CONE CELLS, the rod cells are responsible for twilight vision (at scotopic intensities) as well as peripheral vision, but provide no color discrimination. Photoreceptors, Rod,Retinal Rod Cells,Rod Photoreceptors,Rods (Retina),Retinal Rod,Retinal Rod Cell,Retinal Rod Photoreceptor,Retinal Rod Photoreceptors,Rod Photoreceptor Cells,Cell, Retinal Rod,Cell, Rod Photoreceptor,Cells, Retinal Rod,Cells, Rod Photoreceptor,Photoreceptor Cell, Rod,Photoreceptor Cells, Rod,Photoreceptor, Retinal Rod,Photoreceptor, Rod,Photoreceptors, Retinal Rod,Retinal Rods,Rod (Retina),Rod Cell, Retinal,Rod Cells, Retinal,Rod Photoreceptor,Rod Photoreceptor Cell,Rod Photoreceptor, Retinal,Rod Photoreceptors, Retinal,Rod, Retinal,Rods, Retinal
D019811 Hydroxylamine A colorless inorganic compound (HONH2) used in organic synthesis and as a reducing agent, due to its ability to donate nitric oxide. Hydroxylamine Hydrochloride,Hydroxylammonium Chloride

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