Amino acid sequence of the retinal binding site of squid visual pigment

The retinylpeptides of visual pigments of two species of squid were identified in invertebrate visual pigments. Their primary structures were identical: H-Phe-Ala-Lys-Ala-Ser-Ala-Ile-His-Asn-pro-Hse(Met)-OH. The sequence was homologous to those of the corresponding region of other visual pigments, but the eighth amino acid, His, was found in squid visual pigments. In this experiment the retinylpeptides of eleven amino acid residues were isolated by monitoring the absorbance spectrum of the reduced retinal Schiff base without using radio-active 3H]retinal. This method is valid for the isolation and identification of retinylpeptides of other invertebrate visual pigments in which the chromophore is not exchangeable.