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Mechanism of Photoisomerization in the Retinals and Implications in Rhodopsin

Nature volume 219, pages 383–385 (1968)Cite this article

Abstract

ALL-trans and 11-cis retinals play important parts in the visual process because of the existence of the 11-cis polyene in rhodopsin. Spectroscopic studies of these show that there is weak emission from all-trans retinal and very little from the 11-cis isomer1. Also, rhodopsin shows only a very weak emission2. It is very important to develop a theoretical understanding of these results as well as of the nature of the excited states and their change as a function of the angle of twist around the 11–12 bond of the cis isomer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas

    KOZO INUZUKA & RALPH S. BECKER

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  1. KOZO INUZUKA
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  2. RALPH S. BECKER
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INUZUKA, K., BECKER, R. Mechanism of Photoisomerization in the Retinals and Implications in Rhodopsin. Nature 219, 383–385 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/219383a0

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