Formation of visual pigment chromophores during the development of Xenopus laevis.
Retinoids in the eyes of Xenopus laevis at several developmental stages, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At stage 37/38, larval eyes contained mainly all-trans isomers of retinal, 3-dehydroretinal, retinyl ester and 3-dehydroretinyl ester. Ratios of all-trans 3-dehydroretinal to retinal and of all-trans 3-dehydroretinyl ester to retinyl ester were almost 1 at the stage. With the advance of development, the amounts of all-trans retinal and 3-dehydroretinal decreased; however, those of all-trans retinyl ester and 3-dehydroretinyl ester increased. The chromophores of visual pigments, 11-cis retinal and 3-dehydroretinal, were detected at stage 40 (total; 0.2 pmol/eye) and their amounts increased after that stage. The ratio of 11-cis 3-dehydroretinal to retinal was almost 1 at stages 40-42. The ratio became larger after stage 43 and was almost 19 at stage 46. The ratio of all-trans 3-dehydroretinyl ester to retinyl ester, also, increased after stage 42 and reached 11 at stage 46. The mechanism of 11-cis formation during development is discussed in relation to retinoid conversions in the eyes.
Azuma
M
M
Department of Health Science, Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan.
Seki
T
T
Fujishita
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004224:Diterpenes; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000032:analysis / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012172:Retinaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D012176:Retinoids / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*
D004224:Diterpenes; D012168:Retinal Pigments; D012176:Retinoids; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate; C060513:3-dehydroretinol palmitate; C017184:dehydroretinal; D012172:Retinaldehyde