Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1983 May;80(9):2785–2788. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.9.2785

Spatial localization of bleaching adaptation in isolated vertebrate rod photoreceptors.

M C Cornwall, A Fein, E F MacNichol Jr
PMCID: PMC393913  PMID: 6573679

Abstract

Bleaching of a large fraction of the rhodopsin in isolated rod outer segments results in an irreversible desensitization of the rod. This desensitization is referred to as bleaching adaptation. The logarithm of the sensitivity of the rod during bleaching adaptation has been found by a number of workers to be linearly related to the concentration of unbleached rhodopsin. We have measured the desensitization due to bleaching adaptation produced by a spatially confined stimulus and found that its effects are highly local. The space constant for the spread of desensitization was less than 4 microns. The small apparent spread of desensitization beyond the bleached regions probably can be accounted for by defocusing and light scatter. Thus, the involvement of a freely diffusible transmitter in bleaching adaptation does not appear to be required.

Full text

PDF
2785

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bastian B. L., Fain G. L. Light adaptation in toad rods: requirement for an internal messenger which is not calcium. J Physiol. 1979 Dec;297(0):493–520. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1979.sp013053. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baylor D. A., Lamb T. D. Local effects of bleaching in retinal rods of the toad. J Physiol. 1982 Jul;328:49–71. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1982.sp014252. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baylor D. A., Lamb T. D., Yau K. W. Responses of retinal rods to single photons. J Physiol. 1979 Mar;288:613–634. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DOWLING J. E. Chemistry of visual adaptation in the rat. Nature. 1960 Oct 8;188:114–118. doi: 10.1038/188114a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DOWLING J. E. NEURAL AND PHOTOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS OF VISUAL ADAPTATION IN THE RAT. J Gen Physiol. 1963 Jul;46:1287–1301. doi: 10.1085/jgp.46.6.1287. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ernst W., Kemp C. M., Lake N. Studies on the effects of bleaching amphibian rod pigments. IV. Photoresponses recorded intracellularly from axolotl red rods following bleaching flashes. Exp Eye Res. 1978 Jul;27(1):117–127. doi: 10.1016/0014-4835(78)90058-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ernst W., Kemp C. M. The effects of rhodopsin decomposition on P3 responses of isolated rat retinae. Vision Res. 1972 Dec;12(12):1937–1946. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(72)90050-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Frank R. N. Properties of "neural" adaptation in components of the frog electroretinogram. Vision Res. 1971 Oct;11(10):1113–1123. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(71)90115-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Grabowski S. R., Pak W. L. Intracellular recordings of rod responses during dark-adaptation. J Physiol. 1975 May;247(2):363–391. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp010936. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hemilä S., Reuter T. Longitudinal spread of adaptation in the rods of the frog's retina. J Physiol. 1981 Jan;310:501–528. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1981.sp013564. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hood D. C., Hock P. A., Grover B. G. Dark adaptation of the frog's rods. Vision Res. 1973 Oct;13(10):1953–1963. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(73)90066-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jagger W. S. Local stimulation and local adaptation of single isolated frog rod outer segments. Vision Res. 1979;19(4):381–384. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(79)90098-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lamb T. D., McNaughton P. A., Yau K. W. Spatial spread of activation and background desensitization in toad rod outer segments. J Physiol. 1981;319:463–496. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1981.sp013921. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Liebman P. A., Entine G. Lateral diffusion of visual pigment in photorecptor disk membranes. Science. 1974 Aug 2;185(4149):457–459. doi: 10.1126/science.185.4149.457. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pepperberg D. R., Brown P. K., Lurie M., Dowling J. E. Visual pigment and photoreceptor sensitivity in the isolated skate retina. J Gen Physiol. 1978 Apr;71(4):369–396. doi: 10.1085/jgp.71.4.369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Poo M., Cone R. A. Lateral diffusion of rhodopsin in the photoreceptor membrane. Nature. 1974 Feb 15;247(5441):438–441. doi: 10.1038/247438a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. RUSHTON W. A. Rhodopsin measurement and dark-adaptation in a subject deficient in cone vision. J Physiol. 1961 Apr;156:193–205. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1961.sp006668. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Weinstein G. W., Hobson R. R., Dowling J. E. Light and dark adaptation in the isolated rat retina. Nature. 1967 Jul 8;215(5097):134–138. doi: 10.1038/215134a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES