The murine cone photoreceptor: a single cone type expresses both S and M opsins with retinal spatial patterning.
Mice express S and M opsins that form visual pigments for the detection of light and visual signaling in cones. Here, we show that S opsin transcription is higher than that of M opsin, which supports ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity greater than midwavelength sensitivity. Surprisingly, most cones coexpress both S and M opsins in a common cone cell type throughout the retina. All cones express M opsin, but the levels are graded from dorsal to ventral. The levels of S opsin are relatively constant. However, in the far dorsal retina, S opsin is repressed stochastically, such that some cones express M opsin only. These observations indicate that two different mechanisms control M and S opsin expression. We suggest that a common cone type is patterned across the retinal surface to produce phenotypic cone subtypes.
Applebury
M L
ML
The Howe Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. mapplebury@meei.harvard.edu
Antoch
M P
MP
Baxter
L C
LC
Chun
L L
LL
Falk
J D
JD
Farhangfar
F
F
Kage
K
K
Krzystolik
M G
MG
Lyass
L A
LA
Robbins
J T
JT
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017299:Rod Opsins