About RPE65
The protein encoded by this gene is a component of the vitamin A visual cycle of the retina which supplies the 11-cis retinal chromophore of the photoreceptors opsin visual pigments. It is a member of the carotenoid cleavage oxygenase superfamily. All members of this superfamily are non-heme iron oxygenases with a seven-bladed propeller fold and oxidatively cleave carotenoid carbon:carbon double bonds. However, the protein encoded by this gene has acquired a divergent function that involves the concerted O-alkyl ester cleavage of its all-trans retinyl ester substrate and all-trans to 11-cis double bond isomerization of the retinyl moiety. As such, it performs the essential enzymatic isomerization step in the synthesis of 11-cis retinal. Mutations in this gene are associated with early-onset severe blinding disorders such as Leber congenital. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2017]

About Alexa Fluor 647
Alexa Fluor™ 647 (AF647, Alexa 647) has an excitation peak at 650 nm and an emission peak at 665 nm, and is spectrally similar to Cy®5 (GE Healthcare), iFluor® 647 (ATT Bioquest), and DyLight™ 650 (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Alexa 647 is commonly used for flow cytometry, microscopy, super-resolution microscopy applications. It is very bright, photostable, and pH insensitive, all of which contribute to sensitive detection while using this dye.