RHODOPSIN PHOSPHORYLATION AND ITS ROLE IN PHOTORECEPTOR FUNCTION

Light-stimulated phosphorylation of rhodopsin was first described 25 y ears ago. This paper reviews the progress that has been made towards ( i) understanding the nature of the enzymes that phosphorylate and deph osphorylate rhodopsin (ii) identifying the sites of phosphorylation on rhodopsin and (iii) understanding the physiological importance of rho dopsin phosphorylation. Many important questions related to rhodopsin phosphorylation remain unanswered and new strategies and methods are n eeded to address issues such as the roles of Ca2+ and recoverin. We pr esent one such method that uses mass spectrometry to quantitate rhodop sin phosphorylation in intact mouse retinas. (C) 1998 Published by Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.