Rhodopsin Antibody, Clone 4D2

Rhodopsin is a light-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) found in the rod photoreceptor cells of the retina. It plays a central role in the phototransduction cascade, converting light into electrical signals essential for vision in low-light conditions. Beyond its classical role in visual processing, rhodopsin has emerged as a key player in retinal neurodegeneration. Mutations in the RHO gene encoding rhodopsin are a leading cause of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by photoreceptor cell death and vision loss. Misfolded rhodopsin accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum, triggering cellular stress responses, including the unfolded protein response (UPR) and apoptosis. Rhodopsin dysfunction also affects mitochondrial dynamics, oxidative stress regulation, and autophagy—pathways commonly implicated in broader neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Its involvement in protein misfolding and trafficking makes rhodopsin a valuable model for studying proteostasis and neurodegeneration. As a well-characterized GPCR with known structural and functional properties, rhodopsin serves as a powerful tool for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal survival, degeneration, and therapeutic intervention strategies in neurodegenerative research.

1 µg/ml of SMC-176 was sufficient for detection of rhodopsin in 10 µg of rat eye lysate by colorimetric immunoblot analysis using Goat anti-mouse IgG:HRP as the secondary antibody.

1. Molday R.S., Hicks D., and Molday L. (1987) Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 28: 50-61. 2. Ridge K.D., Lee S.S.J., and Abdulaev N.G. (1996) J of Biol Chem. 271: 7860-7867. 3. Matsuyama T., Yamashita T., Imai H. and Shichida Y. (2009) J Biol Chem. Manuscript M109.063875. 4. Feurstein S.E., et al. (2009) Biochemistry. 48(45): 10733-10742. 5. Iannaccone A., et al. (2006) Vision Res. 46(27): 4556-4567.

1. Molday R.S., Hicks D., and Molday L. (1987) Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 28: 50-61. 2. Ridge K.D., Lee S.S.J., and Abdulaev N.G. (1996) J of Biol Chem. 271: 7860-7867. 3. Matsuyama T., Yamashita T., Imai H. and Shichida Y. (2009) J Biol Chem. Manuscript M109.063875. 4. Feurstein S.E., et al. (2009) Biochemistry. 48 (45) : 10733-10742. 5. Iannaccone A., et al. (2006) Vision Res. 46 (27) : 4556-4567.