The action of hydroxylamine on visual pigments in the intact retina of the frog ( Rana temporaria)

Perfusion of the isolated retina of the frog ( Rana temporaria) with Ringer solution containing 20 mm hydroxylamine is shown to cause the rapid breakdown of the green-rod pigment and about 20% of rhodopsin to retinal oxime. About 8% of the rhodopsin is converted to a product with λ max at about 448 nm while the remaining 70% of the rhodopsin is spectrally unaffected by hydroxylamine. The results indicate that either rhodopsin is present in the retina in at least three different forms, or that it can react with hydroxylamine in more than one way or that the microenvironment of rhodopsin varies within the outer segment disc membranes.