title: Melanopsin is required for non-image-forming photic responses in blind mice.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John J. Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: Satchidananda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Provencio
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Susana S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rollag
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Castrucci
authors.forename: Mathew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Pletcher
authors.forename: Trey K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiltshire
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andahazy
authors.forename: Steve A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Russell N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Van Gelder
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hogenesch
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; D017299:Rod Opsins; D000099210:Melanopsin