Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yanagawa M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4462023 | biostudies-literature | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Yanagawa Masataka M Kojima Keiichi K Yamashita Takahiro T Imamoto Yasushi Y Matsuyama Take T Nakanishi Koji K Yamano Yumiko Y Wada Akimori A Sako Yasushi Y Shichida Yoshinori Y
Scientific reports 20150610
Low dark noise is a prerequisite for rod cells, which mediate our dim-light vision. The low dark noise is achieved by the extremely stable character of the rod visual pigment, rhodopsin, which evolved from less stable cone visual pigments. We have developed a biochemical method to quickly evaluate the thermal activation rate of visual pigments. Using an isomerization locked chromophore, we confirmed that thermal isomerization of the chromophore is the sole cause of thermal activation. Interestin ...[more]