The Molecular Mechanism Of Photoreception: Report Of The Dahlem Workshop On The Molecular Mechanism Of Photoreception Berlin 1984, November 25-30 (dahlem Workshop Report)

very important, especially the comparison of vertebrate and invertebrate transduction mechanisms. The workshop was very successful and the outcome of the discussions proved it worth the effort. To no small extent has that success been made possible by Dr. Silke Bernhard who with a combination of authority and charm together with her extremely efficient and dedicated staff organized this workshop, providing the conditions and framework for a scientific debate of outstanding quality in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. The great majority of participants were also very committed to making this workshop successful. Besides the reports of the four discussion groups, this publication contains the background papers which were revised by the authors partly as a result of suggestions of some participants. I hope this book will give a fair overview of the state of our knowledge of research in visual transduction. It was a pleasure to edit, especially because of the friendly and very efficient commitment of K. Geue, J. Lupp, and A. Eckert and the cooperativeness of most of the contributors. Particularly I would like to acknowledge gratefully the extensive efforts and patience of the four rapporteurs, M.L. Applebury, W.H. Miller, W.G. Owen, and E.N. Pugh, Jr., in compiling, writing, and revising the group reports. REFERENCES (1) Altman, J. 1985. Sensory transduction, new visions in photoreception. Nature 313: 264-265. (2) Hagins, W.A. 1972. The visual process: Excitatory mechanisms in the primary receptor cells. Ann. Rev. Biophys. Bioeng. 1: 131-158. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction....Pages 1-10 The Biosynthetic, Functional, and Evolutionary Implications of the Structure of Rhodopsin....Pages 11-30 Activation of Visual Pigment: Chromophore Structure and Function....Pages 31-49 Interaction of Photoactivated Rhodopsin with Photoreceptor Proteins: The cGMP Cascade....Pages 51-66 Evidence for a Role of Messenger Substances in Phototransduction....Pages 67-77 Evaluation of Internal Transmitter Candidates: Ca....Pages 79-92 Significance of Changes in Intracellular Ca 2+ for the Mechanism of Signal Transduction in Vertebrate Rod Cells....Pages 93-107 Evaluation of Rod Internal Transmitter Candidates: Cyclic GMP....Pages 109-125 Properties of Cytoplasmic Transmitters of Excitation in Vertebrate Rods and Evaluation of Candidate Intermediary Transmitters....Pages 127-158 Changes in Protein Phosphorylation and Nucleoside Triphosphates during Phototransduction — Physiological Correlates....Pages 159-169 The Light-induced Conductance Change in the Vertebrate Rod....Pages 171-187 Properties of the Light-dependent Membrane Conductances in Invertebrate Photoreceptors....Pages 189-198 Bumps, the Elementary Excitatory Responses of Invertebrates....Pages 199-230 Calcium and Light Adaptation in Invertebrate Photoreceptors....Pages 231-240 Photopigment-dependent Adaptation in Invertebrates — Implications for Vertebrates....Pages 241-265 Photoreceptor Adaptation — Vertebrates....Pages 267-286 Turnover of Vertebrate Photoreceptor Membranes....Pages 287-302 Turnover of Photoreceptor Membrane and Visual Pigment in Invertebrates....Pages 303-326 Quantitative Models of Phototransduction....Pages 327-351 Experimental Results and Physical Ideas towards a Model for Quantum Bumps in Photoreceptors....Pages 353-367 Potentials and Limitations of Noise Analysis of Light-induced Conductance Changes in Photoreceptors....Pages 369-387 Molecular Genetic Approach to the Study of Phototransduction in Drosophila....Pages 389-400 Triggering and Amplification....Pages 401-430 Internal Messengers....Pages 431-450 Light-sensitive Channels, Pumps, and Carriers....Pages 451-466 Adaptation....Pages 467-488 Back Matter....Pages 489-507