Need rods? Get glycine receptors and taurine.
Taurine, a multifunctional amino acid prevalent in developing nervous tissues, regulates the number of rod photoreceptors in developing postnatal rodent retina. In this issue of Neuron, Young and Cepko show that taurine acts via GlyRalpha2 subunit-containing glycine receptors expressed by retinal progenitor cells at birth.
Rentería
René C
RC
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Johnson
Juliette
J
Copenhagen
David R
DR
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
C439504:GLRA2 protein, human; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D013654:Taurine