Book excerpt: Major topics covered include photoreceptor proteins, phototransduction calcium-binding proteins and calcium measurement in photoreceptor cells, enzymes of the visual cycle, posttranslational and chemical modifications, analysis of animal models of retinal diseases. Inherited retinal disease; from the defective gene to its function and repair. This volume and its companion Volume 315 include newly developed methods to study vertebrate phototransduction and the visual cycle.The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for more than forty years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. Now with more than 300 volumes (all of them still in print), the series contains much material still relevant today--truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences.