Affiliation:
1. Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Centre de Biotecnologia Molecular, Departament d’Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech, Edifici Gaia, Rambla de Sant Nebridi 22, 08222 Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
2. Departament d’Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech, Edifici ETSEIB, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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 photoreceptor 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 rhodopsin. 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 illumination. In turn, Fe3+, but not Fe2+, increased the thermal stability of the dark inactive conformation 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.
Funder
Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain
Government of Catalonia to Research Consolidated Groups
Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia and the European Social Fund
Subject
Inorganic Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Spectroscopy,Molecular Biology,General Medicine,Catalysis
Cited by
1 articles.
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