Photosensitive pigments formed with rat opsin.

Photosensitive pigments are formed in vitro from rat opsin with the rods in suspension or as digitonin solutions. Rhodopsin, isorhodopsin I, and isorhodopsin II were generated with 11-cis, 9-cis and 9, 13-dicis retinal, respectively. An isorhodopsin I analogue was formed on combination with 9-cis 13-desmethyl-14-methylretinal. The absorption spectra and photosensitivities of these pigments were found to be similar to the corresponding bovine pigments although the rates of formation are several fold slower.