What is "transducin"

n. (context protein English) Any of a class of proteins associated with the visual process

Transducin (G) is a protein naturally expressed in vertebrate retina rods and cones and it is very important in vertebrate phototransduction. It is a type of heterotrimeric G-protein with different α subunits in rod and cone photoreceptors.

Light leads to conformational changes in rhodopsin, which in turn leads to the activation of transducin. Transducin activates phosphodiesterase, which results in the breakdown of cGMP. The intensity of the flash response is directly proportional to the number of transducin activated.