title: A deep brain photoreceptive molecule in the toad hypothalamus.
abstract: We have isolated a cDNA clone encoding a deep brain photoreceptive molecule from the hypothalamic cDNA library of the toad, Bufo japonicus. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest similarity to that of pinopsin (75-76%) among vertebrate retinal opsins, indicating the expression of toad pinopsin in the deep brain. Antibodies raised against the C-terminal tail of toad pinopsin stained cell bodies and the knob-like structures of the cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in the anterior preoptic nucleus. This region is known to play an important role in breeding behavior, suggesting that toad pinopsin acts as a photosensor for the photoperiodic gonadal response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukada
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002025:Bufonidae; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D017440:Photoperiod; D010802:Phylogeny; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D030161:Avian Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D017299:Rod Opsins; C090139:OPNP protein, chicken