Wang, F.; Fernandez-Gonzalez, P.; Ramon, E.; Gomez-Gutierrez, P.; Morillo, M.; Garriga, P. Effect of Trace Metal Ions on the Conformational Stability of the Visual Photoreceptor Rhodopsin. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2023, 24, 11231.
Wang, F.; Fernandez-Gonzalez, P.; Ramon, E.; Gomez-Gutierrez, P.; Morillo, M.; Garriga, P. Effect of Trace Metal Ions on the Conformational Stability of the Visual Photoreceptor Rhodopsin. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 11231.
Wang, F.; Fernandez-Gonzalez, P.; Ramon, E.; Gomez-Gutierrez, P.; Morillo, M.; Garriga, P. Effect of Trace Metal Ions on the Conformational Stability of the Visual Photoreceptor Rhodopsin. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2023, 24, 11231.
Wang, F.; Fernandez-Gonzalez, P.; Ramon, E.; Gomez-Gutierrez, P.; Morillo, M.; Garriga, P. Effect of Trace Metal Ions on the Conformational Stability of the Visual Photoreceptor Rhodopsin. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 11231.
Abstract
Trace metals are essential elements that play key roles in a number of biochemical processes governing human visual physiology in health and disease. Several trace metals, such as zinc, have been shown to play important roles in the visual phototransduction process. In spite of this, there has been little research conducted on the direct effect of trace metal elements on the visual pho-toreceptor rhodopsin. In the current study, we have determined the effect of several metal ions, such as iron, copper, chromium, manganese, and nickel on the conformational stability of rho-dopsin. To this aim, we analyzed, by means of UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, the effects of these trace elements on the thermal stability of dark rhodopsin, the stability of its active Metarhodopsin II conformation, and its chromophore regeneration. Our results show that copper prevented rhodopsin regeneration and slowed down the retinal release process after il-lumination. In turn, Fe3+, but not Fe2+, increased the thermal stability of the dark inactive con-formation of rhodopsin, whereas copper ions markedly decreased it. These findings stress the important role of trace metals in retinal physiology at the photoreceptor level, and may be useful for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat retinal disease.
Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
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