Yellow PowderChEBI: A retinal in which all four exocyclic double bonds have E- (trans-) geometry.
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All-trans-retinal is a retinal in which all four exocyclic double bonds have E- (trans-) geometry. It has a role as a gap junctional intercellular communication inhibitor, a human metabolite and a mouse metabolite. It is a retinal and a vitamin A.|A diterpene derived from the carotenoid VITAMIN A which functions as the active component of the visual cycle. It is the prosthetic group of RHODOPSIN (i.e., covalently bonded to ROD OPSIN as 11-cis-retinal). When stimulated by visible light, rhodopsin transforms this cis-isomer of retinal to the trans-isomer (11-trans-retinal). This transformation straightens-out the bend of the retinal molecule and causes a change in the shape of rhodopsin triggering the visual process. A series of energy-requiring enzyme-catalyzed reactions convert the 11-trans-retinal back to the cis-isomer.