N-retinylidine-N-retinyl ethanolamine

Introduction

N-retinylidine-N-retinylethanolamine is the major component of lipofuscin in pigment epithelium. It is formed from reaction of ethanolamine or phosphatidyl-ethanolamine with retinaldehyde in disc membranes of photoreceptor outer segments. After the shed discs are phagocytosed by the retinal pigment epithelium, the molecule loses its phosphoglyceroid moiety to leave N- retinylidine-N-retinyl ethanolamine. This amphoteric quaternary amine is precisely the type of compound predicted to accumulate within lysosomes.

More general terms

• Schiff base (aldimine)
• retinoid

Additional terms

• lipofuscin
• N-retinylidine-N-retinyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine