The proposed program is a continuation of the productive effort that has gone into the area of polyene photochemistry, vitamin A and visual pigments for the last decade. It will emphasize exploration of many important leads that have already been established. The projects can be grouped into two major categories. First there will be a continued effort in the investigation of fundamental properties of excited polyenes with an emphasis on understanding of factors governing relaxation processes that channels into specific isomerization reactions. The photochemical knowledge will be combined with the synthetic expertise already established in our laboratory for development of new synthetic methodologies of vitamin A isomers, analogs and carotenoids. A related but more biologically oriented program is the study of fundamental processes and structural properties of visual pigments and their analogs. The information of particular concern is the nature of the photochemical transformation, the shape of the binding site of opsin and detection of specific protein-substrate interactions. There will be a continued collaborative interaction with several biological and spectroscopic research groups. Similar studies with the related bacteriorhodopsin will also be conducted. To achieve these goals we intend to continue our unique approach in combining synthetic skills and physical organic reasoning and methodologies. In addition to the established techniques of photochemical measurements, spectroscopic methods (electronic and nmr) we propose the addition of molecular modelling capability. All these are directed toward a better understanding of the excited state properties of polyenes including the molecular processes in the visual chromophore.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37DK017806-17
Application #
3483223
Study Section
Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry Study Section (BNP)
Project Start
1975-01-01
Project End
1992-06-30
Budget Start
1991-09-20
Budget End
1992-06-30
Support Year
17
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Hawaii
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
121911077
City
Honolulu
State
HI
Country
United States
Zip Code
96822
Liu, Robert S H; Colmenares, Leticia U (2003) The molecular basis for the high photosensitivity of rhodopsin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 100:14639-44
Liu, Robert S H (2002) Introduction to the symposium-in-print: photoisomerization pathways, torsional relaxation and the hula twists. Photochem Photobiol 76:580-3
Liu, R S; Hammond, G S (2001) Examples of hula-twist in photochemical cis- trans isomerization. Chemistry 7:4537-44
Liu, R S (2001) Photoisomerization by hula-twist: a fundamental supramolecular photochemical reaction. Acc Chem Res 34:555-62
Muthyala, R; Watanabe, D; Asato, A E et al. (2001) The nature of the delocalized cations in azulenic bacteriorhodopsin analogs. Photochem Photobiol 74:837-45
Liu, R S; Hammond, G S (2000) The case of medium-dependent dual mechanisms for photoisomerization: one-bond-flip and hula-twist. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:11153-8
Imai, H; Hirano, T; Terakita, A et al. (1999) Probing for the threshold energy for visual transduction: red-shifted visual pigment analogs from 3-methoxy-3-dehydroretinal and related compounds. Photochem Photobiol 70:111-5
Li, X Y; Liu, R S (1995) Photostationary state compositions of retinal and related compounds included in beta-lactoglobulin. Effects of protein host on isomer distribution of polyene substrates. Photochem Photobiol 62:361-6
Asato, A E; Peng, A; Hossain, M Z et al. (1993) Azulenic retinoids: novel nonbenzenoid aromatic retinoids with anticancer activity. J Med Chem 36:3137-47
Liu, R S; Krogh, E; Li, X Y et al. (1993) Analyzing the red-shift characteristics of azulenic, naphthyl, other ring-fused and retinyl pigment analogs of bacteriorhodopsin. Photochem Photobiol 58:701-5

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