Biochemistry of the Visual System Flashcards
What are the types of photoreceptor cells?
Rods and cones
What do rods respond to?
Light detection
What do cones respond to?
Color detection
What receptor protein are rods associated with?
Rhodopsin
What receptor protein are cones associated with?
3 different opsins - red, green, blue
Between rods and cones, which has a high sensitivity but low resolution?
Rods
Between rods and cones, which has a low sensitivity but high resolution?
Cones
Why do cones have a low sensitivity but high resolution?
A single cone associates with a single bipolar cell
Why do rods have a high sensitivity but low resolution?
Many rods converge upon a single bipolar cell
Describe the organization or rods and cones
Synaptic ending, axon, nucleus, inner segment, outer segment that includes discs
Disc membranes in the outer segment include a GPCR system that initiates the pathway, what is in that system?
Opsin receptor protein, Transducin G protein, and cGMP Phosphodiesterase
Describe what happens when light enters the disc membrane of the outer segment of a rod
- Light activates the rhodopsin receptor protein which activates the Transducin G protein
- Transducin binds a GTP and the alpha subunit and GTP dissociate
- Activated alpha subunit and GTP activate the phosphodiesterase
- Phosphodiesterase takes cGMP to GMP, thus reducing the concentration of cGMP
- This causes the Na/Ca channels to close and the cell is hyperpolarized and releases less glutamate
What is necessary to open the na/ca channel on the outer segment membrane?
cGMP, which is why the channels are closed when light is present and actively leading to its decrease
What will recreate cGMP leading to the cells depolarization and thus more release of glutamate?
Guanylate cyclase (GC)
Light leads to?
Hyperpolarization and thus less release of glutamate
Darkness leads to?
Depolarization and more release of glutamate
What forms a covalent link (schiff base) with 11-Retinal?
Lysine 296
Photo-activated lysine in the 7TM is ____
Pronated! It can now absorb light’s wavelength