Chemistry and molecular physiology of vision: light-sensitive protein rhodopsin

The review concerns literature data on the structure, functions and molecular simulation of rhodopsin. The mechanisms of the spectral tuning of visual pigments, photoisomerization of the rhodopsin chromophore group (11-cis-retinal moiety) and the formation of the physiologically active state of rhodopsin as a G-protein-coupled receptor are considered. Particular attention is given to the rhodopsin visual cycle and pathogenetic consequences of its impairment. A knowledge of the structure and photochemistry of rhodopsin was shown to be of importance for the use in nanotechnology of the future. The bibliography includes 219 references.