Melanopsin is required for non-image-forming photic responses in blind mice.
Although mice lacking rod and cone photoreceptors are blind, they retain many eye-mediated responses to light, possibly through photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. These cells express melanopsin, a photopigment that confers this photosensitivity. Mice lacking melanopsin still retain nonvisual photoreception, suggesting that rods and cones could operate in this capacity. We observed that mice with both outer-retinal degeneration and a deficiency in melanopsin exhibited complete loss of photoentrainment of the circadian oscillator, pupillary light responses, photic suppression of arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase transcript, and acute suppression of locomotor activity by light. This indicates the importance of both nonvisual and classical visual photoreceptor systems for nonvisual photic responses in mammals.
Panda
Satchidananda
S
Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John J. Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
Provencio
Ignacio
I
Tu
Daniel C
DC
Pires
Susana S
SS
Rollag
Mark D
MD
Castrucci
Ana Maria
AM
Pletcher
Mathew T
MT
Sato
Trey K
TK
Wiltshire
Tim
T
Andahazy
Mary
M
Kay
Steve A
SA
Van Gelder
Russell N
RN
Hogenesch
John B
JB
D000818:Animals; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001766:Blindness / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D008027:Light; D055537:Light Signal Transduction; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009043:Motor Activity; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D012025:Reflex, Pupillary; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D000099210:Melanopsin
D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; D017299:Rod Opsins; D000099210:Melanopsin