title: Phototransduction molecules in the pigeon deep brain.
abstract: Photoreceptive areas responsible for the regulation of photoperiodicity have been localized in the brain of some avian species. We found that immunoreactivities to rhodopsin and the alpha-subunit of rod-type transducin (Gt(1)alpha) were colocalized in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contacting neurons in the pigeon lateral septum, a possible site for photoreception. Furthermore, RT-PCR analyses showed specific gene expression of both cGMP-phosphodiesterase beta-subunit and cone-type cGMP-gated cation channel alpha-subunit in this region. These results suggest that several components in rod/cone photoreceptors compositely contribute to the deep encephalic phototransduction cascade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukada
mesh_terms: D015106:3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D010856:Columbidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D054707:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 6; D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015293:Transducin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000235:genetics; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; D007473:Ion Channels; D012243:Rhodopsin; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D015106:3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases; D054707:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 6; D015293:Transducin