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PubMed1992

Photoreceptor cell types in the retina of various vertebrate species: immunocytochemistry with antibodies against rhodopsin and iodopsin.

Types of photoreceptor cells in the retinas of 36 species of vertebrates (5 classes, 14 orders) were investigated immunocytochemically with monoclonal antibodies against chicken iodopsin (Io-mAb) and antiserum against bovine rhodopsin (Rh-As). In mammals, Rh-As labeled the outer segments of some photoreceptor cells in striped squirrels (a diurnal mammal) and those of most photoreceptor cells in mice (a nocturnal mammal), while Io-mAb labeled any photoreceptor cells in either of them. In all species of birds studied, Io-mAb labeled the principal and accessory members of double cones and single cones with a red oil droplet. Rh-As labeled single cones with a yellow or clear oil droplet in addition to rods. In turtles, both Rh-As and Io-mAb labeled single cones with a red or clear oil droplet and the principal (with a yellow oil droplet) and accessory members of double cones. This suggests that the visual pigments in these cones of turtles have common epitopes with bovine rhodopsin and chicken iodopsin. In Japanese grass lizards, single cones with a yellow oil droplet and double cones were immunoreactive to both Rh-As and Io-mAb. In snakes, rods and cones could not be distinguished but both positively and negatively stained cells were observed by the use of each antibody. In geckos, however, all photoreceptor cells were immunonegative to Io-mAb. In all species studied in amphibians, Rh-As labeled rods but not cones. Neither rods nor cones reacted with Io-mAb. In fishes, almost all species studied had well developed cones, and some of these cones were labeled by Rh-As. However, Io-mAb labeled the outer segments of some cones only in loaches. Rh-As labeled photoreceptor cells in all species of fishes studied. Thus, Rh-As recognized the outer segments of rods in all species studied from fishes to mammals, whereas the epitope recognized by Io-mAb is conserved in some species of fishes, most species of reptiles and all species of birds studied.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Differential immunogold-dextran labeling of bovine and frog rod and cone cells using monoclonal antibodies against bovine rhodopsin.

Eleven monoclonal antibodies against different segments of bovine rhodopsin were used with immunogold-dextran markers to label Lowicryl thin sections of bovine and frog retinal photoreceptor cells for visualization by transmission electron microscopy. Antibodies against the C-terminus, F1-F2 loop and N-terminus of rhodopsin were all observed to label bovine rod outer segments (ROS) densely, but to label rod inner segments (RIS) only sparsely. Most antibodies bound 200-600 gold particles per micron2 in the ROS, 10-60 gold particles per micron2 in the RIS and 5-20 particles per micron2 on the Lowicryl resin. One antibody against the N-terminus and one antibody against the C-terminus resulted in the binding of over 1000 particles per micron2 in bovine ROS. Cone outer segments (COS) were labeled with only one antibody, rho 3D6, having a specificity for the 1'-4' C-terminus of bovine rhodopsin. Ninety per cent of the COS were observed to be labeled with this antibody. Immunogold-dextran labeling was also used to study the cross-reactivity of these antibodies to rhodopsin in red and green frog ROS and COS. Monoclonal antibodies directed against sites along the F1-F2 loop, and the N-terminus labeled red frog ROS densely, but did not label either green ROS or COS. Three C-terminal specific antibodies against binding sites along the 1'-8' segment labeled both green and red ROS, but a higher extent of labeling was observed on the green ROS. Antibody rho 3D6, which bound to bovine COS, also labeled frog COS. These results indicate that the F1-F2 loop and segments along to the N-terminus and the C-terminus of bovine rhodopsin show a high degree of homology with corresponding regions of frog rhodopsin from red ROS; the C-terminal 1'-8' segment of bovine rhodopsin is closely related to the corresponding segment of frog rhodopsin from green ROS; and the 1'-4' C-terminus of bovine rhodopsin is highly homologous to segments of opsin from most bovine and frog COS. The labeling of frog red ROS in relation to multiple forms of rhodopsin observed by SDS-gel electrophoresis is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The "five-sites" rule and the evolution of red and green color vision in mammals.

Amino acid changes S180A (S-->A at site 180), H197Y, Y277F, T285A, and A308S are known to shift the maximum wavelength of absorption (lambda max) of red and green visual pigments toward blue, essentially in an additive fashion. To test the generality of this "five-sites" rule, we have determined the partial amino acid sequences of red and green pigments from five mammalian orders (Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla, and Rodentia). The result suggests that cat (Felis catus), dog (Canis familiaris), and goat (Capra hircus) pigments all with AHYTA at the five critical sites have lambda max values of approximately 530 nm, whereas rat (Rattus norvegicus) pigment with AYYTS has a lambda max value of approximately 510 nm, which is accurately predicted by the five-sites rule. However, the observed lambda max values of the orthologous pigments of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), and guinea pig (Cavia procellus) are consistently more than 10 nm higher than the predicted values, suggesting the existence of additional molecular mechanisms for red and green color vision. The inferred amino acid sequences of ancestral organisms suggest that the extant mammalian red and green pigments appear to have evolved from a single ancestral green-red hybrid pigment by directed amino acid substitutions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Tertiary structure and spectral tuning of UV and violet pigments in vertebrates.

Many vertebrate species use ultraviolet (UV) vision for such behaviors as mating, foraging, and communication. UV vision is mediated by UV-sensitive visual pigments, which have the wavelengths of maximal absorption (lambda max) at approximately 360 nm, whereas violet (or blue) vision is mediated by orthologous pigments with lambda max values of 390-440 nm. It is widely believed that amino acids in transmembrane (TM) I-III are solely responsible for the spectral tuning of these SWS1 pigments. Recent molecular analyses of SWS1 pigments, however, show that amino acids in TM IV-VII are also involved in the spectral tuning of these pigments through synergistic interactions with those in TM I-III. Comparisons of the tertiary structures of UV and violet pigments reveal that the distance between the counterion E113 in TM III and amino acid sites 87-93 in TM II is narrower for UV pigments than for violet pigments, which may restrict the access of water molecules to the Schiff base pocket and deprotonate the Schiff base nitrogen. Both mutagenesis analyses of E113Q and quantum chemical calculations strongly suggest that unprotonated Schiff base-linked chromophore is responsible for detecting UV light.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Effect of anion binding on the thermal reverse reaction of bathoiodopsin: anion stabilizes two forms of iodopsin.

The thermal reactions of the bathoproduct of the long wavelength sensitive visual pigment iodopsin were investigated under various anionic and environmental conditions, to get an insight into the mechanism leading to the unusual thermal isomerization of the retinal chromophore from the trans to the 11-cis form at very low temperatures (-160 degrees C). The all-trans chromophore of the bathoiodopsin produced from iodopsin in the presence of chloride thermally reverted to the 11-cis form, while in the presence of nitrate it kept its all-trans configuration upon warming. Different protein environments, either in a detergent or in phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes, did not change the reaction characteristics of the bathoiodopsins under the two anionic conditions. However, reaction characteristics of bathoiodopsins produced in the absence of small anions were dependent on the environment. The trans-to-cis isomerization occurred upon warming of bathoiodopsin in the presence of detergent but not in liposomes. Spectral measurements revealed that iodopsin in the absence of small anions is a mixture of two spectrally distinct forms that exhibit absorption maxima and reaction characteristics similar to those of chloride-bound and nitrate-bound iodopsins, respectively. Thus, iodopsin exhibits two conformational states, each of which is stabilized by the binding of chloride and nitrate, respectively.

Anions↗
PubMed2006

Melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells are more injury-resistant in a chronic ocular hypertension model.

PURPOSE: To investigate the survival of melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs) after the induction of chronic ocular hypertension. METHODS: Intraocular pressure (IOP) was elevated in adult Sprague-Dawley rats using an argon laser to photocoagulate the episcleral and limbal veins. IOP was measured with a calibrated tonometer and monitored for a period. Seven days before the animals were killed, a piece of sterile foam soaked with gold fluorescent dye was placed onto the superior colliculus (SC) to label the SC-projecting retinal ganglion cells (scRGCs) retrogradely. mRGCs were visualized by free floating immunohistochemistry on whole-mounted retinas. The number of surviving scRGCs and mRGCs were counted on flatmounted retinas. The branching pattern of dendrites and soma size of mRGCs were examined. RESULTS: An approximately 1.7-fold increase of IOP and a significant loss of scRGCs were found in experimental eyes after laser photocoagulation. However, no significant cell loss or morphologic changes on mRGCs and their dendrites after the induction of chronic ocular hypertension are noticed over a 12-week period. CONCLUSIONS: Although the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a major concern in glaucomatous damage, the findings show that mRGCs are less susceptible to death after the induction of chronic ocular hypertension. This result indicates that mRGCs carry some unique properties that are different from those of other subpopulations of RGCs. The immunohistochemistry approach can be used to distinguish easily these mRGCs from other subtypes. This method provides a useful tool to investigate their injury-resistant properties that are informative for the development of effective neuroprotective treatment for glaucoma.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Melanopsin-dependent photoreception provides earliest light detection in the mammalian retina.

BACKGROUND: The visual system is now known to be composed of image-forming and non-image-forming pathways. Photoreception for the image-forming pathway begins at the rods and cones, whereas that for the non-image-forming pathway also involves intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which express the photopigment melanopsin. In the mouse retina, the rod and cone photoreceptors become light responsive from postnatal day 10 (P10); however, the development of photosensitivity of the ipRGCs remains largely unexplored. RESULTS: Here, we provide direct physiological evidence that the ipRGCs are light responsive from birth (P0) and that this photosensitivity requires melanopsin expression. Interestingly, the number of ipRGCs at P0 is over five times that in the adult retina, reflecting an initial overproduction of melanopsin-expressing cells during development. Even at P0, the ipRGCs form functional connections with the suprachiasmatic nucleus, as assessed by light-induced Fos expression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the non-image-forming pathway is functional long before the mainstream image-forming pathway during development.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effect of chloride on the thermal reverse reaction of intermediates of iodopsin.

Among the intermediates in the bleaching process of iodopsin, a chicken red-sensitive cone visual pigment, the batho and meta I intermediates (batho and meta I) formed at low temperatures revert to the original iodopsin by thermal reactions [Yoshizawa & Wald (1967) Nature 214, 566-571; Imamoto, Imai, Yoshizawa, & Shichida (1994) FEBS Lett. 354, 165-168]. In order to elucidate the relationship between Cl- binding to iodopsin and these reverse reactions, we have prepared a sample of iodopsin whose Cl(-)-binding site is vacant (anion-unbound iodopsin) and compared the thermal reactions of its batho and meta I intermediates with those of Cl(-)-bound (native) and nitrate-bound iodopsins. The reverse reaction from batho is observed in both Cl(-)-bound and anion-unbound iodopsins, while the reaction from meta I is observed only in Cl(-)-bound iodopsin. These results indicate that Cl- binding is indispensable for the reverse reaction from meta I, but not from batho. The reverse reaction from meta I has been further investigated as a function of Cl- concentration, and the dissociation constant of Cl- in meta I is estimated to be approximately 20 mM. This value is about 200 times larger than that of iodopsin (0.1 mM), and close to the physiological Cl- concentration in photoreceptor cells, suggesting that Cl- could be released from the protein moiety during the bleaching of iodopsin.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Spectral tuning in the mammalian short-wavelength sensitive cone pigments.

The wild-type mouse ultraviolet (UV) and bovine blue cone visual pigments have absorption maxima of 358 and 438 nm, respectively, while sharing 87% amino acid identity. To determine the molecular basis underlying the 80 nm spectral shift between these pigments, we selected several amino acids in helices II and III for site-directed mutagenesis. These amino acids included: (1) those that differ between mouse UV and bovine blue; (2) the conserved counterion, Glu113; and (3) Ser90, which is involved in wavelength modulation in avian short-wavelength sensitive cone pigments. These studies resulted in the identification of a single amino acid substitution at position 86 responsible for the majority of the spectral shift between the mouse UV and bovine blue cone pigments. This is the first time that this amino acid by itself has been shown to play a major role in the spectral tuning of the SWS1 cone pigments. A single amino acid substitution appears to be the dominant factor by which the majority of mammalian short-wavelength sensitive cone pigments have shifted their absorption maxima from the UV to the visible regions of the spectrum. Studies investigating the role of the conserved counterion Glu113 suggest that the bovine and mouse SWS1 pigments result from a protonated and unprotonated Schiff base chromophore, respectively.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed1999

Effect of anion binding on iodopsin studied by low-temperature fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The effect of anion binding on iodopsin, the chicken red-sensitive cone visual pigment, was studied by measurements of the Fourier transform infrared spectra of chloride- and nitrate-bound forms of iodopsin at 77 K. In addition to the blue shift of the absorption maximum upon substituting nitrate for chloride, the C=C stretching vibrations of iodopsin and its photoproducts were upshifted 5-6 cm(-)(1). The C=NH and C=ND stretching vibrations were the same in wavenumber between the chloride- and nitrate-bound forms, indicating that the binding of either chloride or nitrate has no effect on the interaction between the protonated Schiff base and the counterion. The vibrational bands of iodopsin in the fingerprint and the hydrogen out-of-plane wagging regions were insensitive to anion substitution, suggesting that local chromophore interactions with the anions are not crucial for the absorption spectral shift. In contrast, bathoiodopsin in the chloride-bound form exhibited an intense C(14)H wagging mode, whose intensity was considerably weakened upon substitution of nitrate for chloride. These results suggest that binding of chloride changes the environment near the C(14) position of the chromophore, which could be one of the factors in the thermal reverse reaction of bathoiodopsin to iodopsin in the chloride-bound form.

Anions↗
PubMed1991

Total synthesis of a gene for octopus rhodopsin and its preliminary expression.

To carry out systematic structure-function studies of octopus rhodopsin, photoreceptor protein of octopus visual cells, by means of specific amino-acid replacements, we have totally synthesized a DNA duplex of 1,365 base pairs that encodes the entire octopus rhodopsin of 455 amino acids [Ovchinnikov et al. (1988) FEBS Lett. 232, 69-72] by introducing codons preferred in Escherichia coli. Total synthesis simplifies site-specific mutagenesis in all parts of the gene by replacement of short restriction fragments by their newly synthesized counterparts containing the required nucleotide alterations. Thirty unique restriction sites were introduced in the octopus rhodopsin gene, which was assembled on a plasmid in two steps. Five cartridge genes of 344, 296, 320, 212, and 317 base pairs capable of being expressed independently were first constructed by using 48 synthetic oligonucleotides ranging in size from 54 to 73 nucleotides. The entire gene was constructed by consecutive linkage of cartridge genes. These cartridge genes were designed to correspond to the transmembrane helical unit of octopus rhodopsin, resulting in easy construction of various chimeric rhodopsins. The nucleotide sequences were confirmed by sequencing the cartridges as well as the entire gene. These synthetic genes were cloned into an expression vector carrying the trp promoter of E. coli, and were preliminarily expressed in vitro and in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Chloride binding regulates the Schiff base pK in gecko P521 cone-type visual pigment.

The binding of chloride is known to shift the absorption spectrum of most long-wavelength-absorbing cone-type visual pigments roughly 30 nm to the red. We determined that the chloride binding constant for this color shift in the gecko P521 visual pigment is 0.4 mM at pH 6.0. We found an additional effect of chloride on the P521 pigment: the apparent pKa of the Schiff base in P521 is greatly increased as the chloride concentration is increased. The apparent Schiff base pKa shifts from 8.4 for the chloride-free form to >10.4 for the chloride-bound form. We show that this shift is due to chloride binding to the pigment, not to the screening of the membrane surface charges by chloride ions. We also found that at high pH, the absorption maximum of the chloride-free pigment shifts from 495 to 475 nm. We suggest that the chloride-dependent shift of the apparent Schiff base pKa is due to the deprotonation of a residue in the chloride binding site with a pKa of ca. 8.5, roughly that of the Schiff base in the absence of chloride. The deprotonation of this site results in the formation of the 475 nm pigment and a 100-fold decrease in the pigment's ability to bind chloride. Increasing the concentration of chloride results in the stabilization of the protonated state of this residue in the chloride binding site and thus increased chloride binding with an accompanying increase in the Schiff base pK.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Circadian regulation of iodopsin and clock is altered in the retinal degeneration chicken retina.

We are interested in determining if the visual phototransduction cascade plays a role in light entrainment of photoreceptor circadian oscillators. In this study, we compared mRNA levels of iodopsin and the chicken homolog of Clock (cClock) in the retinas of normal and rd (retinal degeneration) chickens that lack functional rod and cone phototransduction cascades. Iodopsin is a circadian-regulated, photoreceptor-specific gene expressed in chicken retina, and Clock is a transcription factor that has been shown to play a role in the circadian clock mechanism in mouse and Drosophila. The results of our analyses show that cClock and iodopsin transcript levels undergo daily oscillations in retinas of normal animals housed under 12 h light:12 h dark (12L:12D) conditions, and that these oscillations are maintained in the absence of light. Levels of these transcripts in the retinas of rd/rd chickens housed under cyclic light conditions did not change significantly over the course of a 12L:12D cycle; however, there was evidence that the photoreceptor oscillators were entrained in these animals. Comparisons of our normal and rd/rd data suggest that there are at least two light entrainment pathways that impinge on the oscillators found in photoreceptor cells, one of which is effectively disabled by the GC1 null mutation carried by the rd chicken.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Agonists and partial agonists of rhodopsin: retinals with ring modifications.

Activation of the visual pigment rhodopsin is initiated by isomerization of its retinal chromophore to the all-trans geometry, which drives the conformation of the protein to the active state. We have examined by FTIR spectroscopy the impact of a series of modifications at the ring of retinal on the activation process and on molecular interactions within the binding pocket. Deletion of ring methyl groups at C1 and C5 or replacement of the ring in diethyl or ethyl-methyl acyclic analogues resulted in partial agonists, for which the conformational equilibrium between the Meta I and Meta II photoproduct is shifted from the active Meta II side to the inactive Meta I side. While the Meta II states of these artificial pigments had a conformation similar to those of native Meta II, the Meta I states were different. Modifications on the ring of retinal had a particular impact on the interaction of Glu 122 within the ring-binding pocket and are shown to interfere with the Glu 134-mediated proton uptake during formation of Meta II. We further found, upon partial deletion of ring constituents, a decrease of the entropy change of the transition from Meta I to Meta II by up to 50%, while the concomitant reduction of the enthalpy term was less pronounced. These findings underline the particular importance of the ring and the ring methyl groups and are discussed in a model of receptor activation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Molecular properties of chimerical mutants of gecko blue and bovine rhodopsin.

In spite of the high similarity in amino acid sequence between rod visual pigment rhodopsin and gecko blue-sensitive pigment (gecko blue), not only the spectral sensitivities but also the thermal decay rates of the meta II- and III-intermediates are noticeably different from one another [Kojima et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 1096-1106]. In order to identify the protein region(s) that contain(s) key residue being responsible for the functional difference, we constructed six chimerical mutants derived from gecko blue and bovine rhodopsin, with the aid of protein production in a human embryonic kidney cell line (293S). While the absorption maximum of every mutant was located in between gecko blue (466 nm) and bovine rhodopsin (500 nm), a large blue-shift (18 nm) was observed when the helices I-III of rhodopsin were replaced with those of gecko blue. A time resolved spectroscopic study demonstrated that this replacement also accelerated the decay rate of the meta II-intermediate. The decay of the meta III-intermediate of the mutants became faster as the compartment of gecko blue was increased. Thus, the faster decay of the meta II-intermediate of gecko blue is largely attributed to residues within helices I-III, while the decay of the meta III-intermediate apparently depends on the overall structure of the protein.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

Constant illumination causes spatially discrete dopamine depletion in the normal and degenerate retina.

A fully competent retinal dopamine system underpins normal visual function. Although this system is known to be compromised both prior to and during retinal degeneration, the spatial dynamics of dopamine turnover within the degenerate retina are at present unknown. Here, using immunohistochemistry for dopamine in combination with quantitative optical density measurements, we reveal a global decline in retinal dopamine levels in the light adapted RCS dystrophic rat, which is restricted to plexiform layers in the dark. Pharmacological blockade of dopamine production with the drug alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) allows the direct visualisation of dopamine depletion in normal and degenerate retina in response to constant illumination. In normal retinae this effect is spatially discrete, being undetectable in perikarya and specific to amacrine cell fibres in sublamina 1 of the inner plexiform layer. A similar response was observed in the retinae of dystrophic rats but with a reduction in amplitude of approximately 50%. It is suggested that the pattern of dopamine depletion observed in rat retina may reflect an AMPT-resistant pool of perikaryal dopamine and/or a reduction in extrasynaptic release of this neurotransmitter in response to illumination in vivo. We conclude that the visualisation of dopamine depletion reported here represents a release of this neurotransmitter in the response to light. Turnover of dopamine in the dystrophic retina is discussed in the context of surviving photoreceptors, including the intrinsically photosensitive melanopsin ganglion cells of the inner retina.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal human ocular degeneration occurs in Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA2).

BACKGROUND: Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) encompasses the most precocious and severe forms of inherited retinal dystrophy, displaying very significant visual handicap at or soon after birth. Among the currently identified mutations, alterations in the gene coding for retinal pigment epithelium 65-kDa protein (RPE65) lead to LCA2. Existing animal models for LCA2 (RPE65(-/-) null mice and naturally occurring RPE65(-/-) Briard dogs) exhibit near normal retinal histology at birth, although no recordable photofunction can be detected. Structural degeneration in both cases occurs with delayed onset, cone death generally preceding that of rods. METHODS: We obtained retinal tissue from a voluntarily aborted embryo of an LCA2 carrier in order to compare histopathology and immunohistochemistry with age-matched normal foetal retina. RESULTS: Compared to normal retinas, affected retina displayed cell loss and thinning of the outer nuclear (photoreceptor) layer, decreased immunoreactivity for key phototransduction proteins, and aberrant synaptic and inner retinal organisation. The gene mutation abolished detectable expression of RPE65 within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of affected eyes, and ultrastructural examination revealed the presence of lipid and vesicular inclusions not seen in normal RPE. In addition, mutant eyes demonstrated thickening, detachment and collagen fibril disorganisation in the underlying Bruch's membrane, and the choroid was distended and abnormally vascularised, in comparison with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Such data contrast with the late-onset ocular changes observed in animal models, indicating caution should be exercised when inferring human retinal pathophysiology from information based on other species.

Aborted Fetus↗
PubMed2002

The molecular basis of dichromatic color vision in males with multiple red and green visual pigment genes.

We investigated the genotypic variation in 50 red-green color vision deficient males (27 deuteranopes and 23 protanopes) of middle European ancestry who possess multiple genes in the X-linked photopigment gene array. We have previously shown that only the first two genes of the array are expressed and contribute to the color vision phenotype. Therefore, the hypothesis is that the first two genes possessed by multigene-dichromats encode pigments of identical or nearly identical spectral sensitivity: one gene normal (R or G) and the other a hybrid (G/R or R/G). The spectral sensitivities of the encoded pigments were inferred from published in vitro and in vivo data. The color vision phenotype was assessed by standard anomaloscopy. Most genotypes (92%) included hybrid genes whose sequence and position and whose encoded pigment correlated exactly with the phenotype. However, one and possibly two of the protanopes had gene arrays consistent with protanomaly rather than protanopia, since two spectrally different pigments may be encoded by their arrays. Two of the deuteranopes had only R- and G-photopigment genes, without any detectable G/R-hybrid genes or any as-of-yet identified point mutation or coding/promoter sequence deletions. Further, an unexpectedly high number of multigene-deuteranopes (11%) had the C203R mutation in their most upstream G-pigment gene, suggesting a founder effect of middle European origin for this mutation. About half of the protanopes possessed an upstream R/G-hybrid gene with different exon 2 coding sequences than their downstream G-pigment gene(s), which is inconsistent with published data implying that a single amino acid substitution in exon 2 can confer red-green color discrimination capacity on multigene-protans by altering the optical density of the cones.

Color Perception↗