Abstract
A visual pigment-like protein, referred to as peropsin, has been identified by large-scale sequencing of cDNAs derived from human ocular tissues. The corresponding mRNA was found only in the eye, where it is localized to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Peropsin immunoreactivity, visualized by light and electron microscopy, localizes the protein to the apical face of the RPE, and most prominently to the microvilli that surround the photoreceptor outer segments. These observations suggest that peropsin may play a role in RPE physiology either by detecting light directly or by monitoring the concentration of retinoids or other photoreceptor-derived compounds.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 9893-9898 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 94 |
Issue number | 18 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2 1997 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General