title: Expression of opsin genes early in ocular development of humans and mice.
abstract: We have compared the onsets of expression of the classical visual opsins with those of the non-rod, non-cone opsins in foetal and post-natal eye tissue from mice and humans. Mouse Rgr-opsin, peropsin, encephalopsin and melanopsin are all expressed in foetal development by E11.5, unlike the murine rod and cone opsins that exhibit post-natal expression, e.g. P1 for ultraviolet cone opsin and P5 for rod opsin. Human non-rod, non-cone opsins are also all expressed early, by 8.6 weeks post-conception. The implications of these observations are discussed with regard to the possible functions of these opsins at early stages of ocular development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative and Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience and Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, St Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP, UK.
authors.forename: Emma E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Tarttelin
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bellingham
authors.forename: Lindsay C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Bibb
authors.forename: Russell G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hankins
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gregory-Evans
authors.forename: Cheryl Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Gregory-Evans
authors.forename: Dominic J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000235:genetics*; D000099210:Melanopsin
chemical_list: D017299:Rod Opsins; D000099210:Melanopsin