錐体特異的な視物質再生過程での11-シス選択性

抄録

Vertebrate visual photoreceptor cells, rods and cones, consume 11-cis-retinal as a chromophore of visual pigment. 11-cis-retinal is supplied from two metabolic pathways; the retinal pigment epithelium pathway, which is common for both rods and cones, and the cone-specific intra retina pathway. The latter pathway is thought to support a rapid re-synthesis of 11-cis-retinal which is required for cone-mediated daylight vision. Recently, it was proposed that 9-cis-retinal, in addition to 11-cis isomer, is used in this cone-specific pathway and it might modulate sensitivity and spectral tuning of cone-mediated vision. This review summarizes our recent studies to test this hypothesis.