Abstract

Mechanisms of visual transduction will be investigated at a number of levels. Photochemistry of the chromophore associated with visual pigments will be studied through photochemical and photophysical studies of polyenes which serve as models for the chromophore. Visual pigments themselves will also be studied primarily through the use of nanosecond laser photolysis techniques. Various photolysis intermediates will be investigated from early intermediates which last for nanoseconds, to later intermediates which are found on the microsecond and millisecond time scales. These intermediates will be characterized in the hope of learning how light results in changing visual pigments to their activated forms. The interactions of these activated visual pigments with other proteins present in visual cells as well as interactons between these other proteins will also be investigated with the use of light scattering techniques combined with microscopy studies. It is hoped that these studies as a whole will provide valuable information on how visual transduction works.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY000983-18
Application #
3255646
Study Section
Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Study Section (BBCA)
Project Start
1977-04-01
Project End
1993-03-31
Budget Start
1990-04-01
Budget End
1991-03-31
Support Year
18
Fiscal Year
1990
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of California Santa Cruz
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Santa Cruz
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95064

  Publications

Szundi, Istvan; Funatogawa, Chie; Guo, Ying et al. (2017) Protein Sequence and Membrane Lipid Roles in the Activation Kinetics of Bovine and Human Rhodopsins. Biophys J 113:1934-1944
Szundi, Istvan; Funatogawa, Chie; Kliger, David S (2016) Complexity of Bovine Rhodopsin Activation Revealed at Low Temperature and Alkaline pH. Biochemistry 55:5095-105
Szundi, Istvan; Li, Hai; Chen, Eefei et al. (2015) Platymonas subcordiformis Channelrhodopsin-2 Function: I. THE PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION CYCLE. J Biol Chem 290:16573-84
Szundi, Istvan; Bogomolni, Roberto; Kliger, David S (2015) Platymonas subcordiformis Channelrhodopsin-2 (PsChR2) Function: II. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION CYCLE TO CHANNEL CURRENTS. J Biol Chem 290:16585-94
Mooney, Victoria L; Szundi, Istvan; Lewis, James W et al. (2012) Schiff base protonation changes in Siberian hamster ultraviolet cone pigment photointermediates. Biochemistry 51:2630-7
Kliger, David S; Chen, Eefei; Goldbeck, Robert A (2012) Probing kinetic mechanisms of protein function and folding with time-resolved natural and magnetic chiroptical spectroscopies. Int J Mol Sci 13:683-97
Tsukamoto, Hisao; Szundi, Istvan; Lewis, James W et al. (2011) Rhodopsin in nanodiscs has native membrane-like photointermediates. Biochemistry 50:5086-91
Chen, Eefei; Goldbeck, Robert A; Kliger, David S (2010) Nanosecond time-resolved polarization spectroscopies: tools for probing protein reaction mechanisms. Methods 52:3-11
Szundi, Istvan; Epps, Jacqueline; Lewis, James W et al. (2010) Temperature dependence of the lumirhodopsin I-lumirhodopsin II equilibrium. Biochemistry 49:5852-8
Thomas, Yiren Gu; Szundi, Istvan; Lewis, James W et al. (2009) Microsecond time-resolved circular dichroism of rhodopsin photointermediates. Biochemistry 48:12283-9

Showing the most recent 10 out of 56 publications