A study on retinal photoisomerization catalyzed by a protein from the honeybee visual system

Ital J Biochem. 1993 May-Jun;42(3):165-74.

Abstract

The photoisomerization of all-trans retinal catalyzed by an isomerase purified from the honeybee retina is stereospecifically directed toward the formation of 11-cis retinal, the isomer required for rhodopsin regeneration. A model of the enzymatic reactions was developed, which fits the experimental data. In a particular experiment where irradiation was performed with a LASER light, the rate constants of the photoisomerization of all-trans retinal were dependent on the light intensity and were therefore greatly enhanced.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bees
  • Catalysis
  • Isomerases / metabolism*
  • Isomerism
  • Kinetics
  • Lasers
  • Light
  • Photochemistry
  • Retina / enzymology
  • Retina / metabolism*
  • Retinaldehyde / metabolism
  • Tretinoin / metabolism*
  • cis-trans-Isomerases*

Substances

  • retinal isomerase
  • Tretinoin
  • Isomerases
  • cis-trans-Isomerases
  • Retinaldehyde