Thienylcyanocuprate 24 mediated conjugated addition of 5-(trimethylsilyl)-4-pentynylmagnesium chloride (23) to 3-methylcyclopenten-1-one (22) and subsequent treatment with TMSCl afforded silyl enol ether 25. Iodination of 25 with NaI and m-CPBA afforded α-iodoketone 21. 6-Exo-dig radical cyclization of 21 and subsequent desilylation furnished hydroindane derivative 20. Bicyclic ketone 20 was converted to nitrile
carrying the ring moiety. The GTP-binding assay of pigment Rh-(2a), incorporating retinal analogue 2a, has shown that its activity is 80% that of the native pigment. That is, the overall conformationaround the 6-s bond is retained in the steps leading to G-protein activation.