title: Preservation of light signaling to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in vitamin A-deficient mice.
abstract: To investigate the role of retinal-based pigments (opsins) in circadian photoreception in mice, animals mutated in plasma retinol binding protein were placed on a vitamin A-free diet and tested for photic induction of gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. After 10 months on the vitamin A-free diet, the majority of mice contained no detectable retinal in their eyes. These mice demonstrated fully intact photic signaling to the suprachiasmatic nucleus as measured by acute mPer mRNA induction in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in response to bright or dim light. The data suggest that a non-opsin pigment is the primary circadian photoreceptor in the mouse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Blaner
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Van Gelder
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quadro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colantuoni
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gottesman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sancar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012172:Retinaldehyde / Q000502:physiology; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D012172:Retinaldehyde