Abstract
Recently Bonting and Bangham presented a hypothesis for the mechanism of the visual process, i.e., the sequence of events between the absorption of a photon by the visual pigment rhodopsin and a nervous impulse. Part of the evidence for this hypothesis rests on observations of the effects of all-trans-retinaldebyde and all-trans-retinol on the leakage of 42K+ through artificial micelles (liposomes) composed of either phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine. The aim of the present study was to extend these observations and to determine more precisely the role of the aldehyde group in cation leakage of phospholipid liposomes.