Rhodopsin, a prototypic G protein-coupled receptor responsible for absorption of photons in
retinal rod photoreceptor cells, was selectively extracted from bovine rod outer segment
membranes, employing mixed micelles of nonyl β-d-glucoside and heptanetriol. Highly
purified rhodopsin was crystallized from solutions containing varying amounts of detergent
and amphiphile. The crystals contained ground state rhodopsin molecules as judged by
their red color and the linear dichroism originating from the 11-cis-retinal chromophore …