Acute photoreceptor degeneration down-regulates melanopsin expression in adult rat retina.
Melanopsin in retinal ganglion cells plays an important role in mammalian circadian systems. Previous studies indicate melanopsin is responsible for circadian photoentrainment independent of classical rods and cones. However, expression of melanopsin in ganglion cells may be regulated by photoreceptors. In this study, we investigated the effects of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced acute photoreceptor degeneration on melanopsin mRNA expression and protein distribution in adult rats. Expression of melanopsin was analyzed 0.5, 1, 5, 7, 13 and 28 days after MNU administration by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. MNU-induced gradual degeneration of photoreceptors, and by day 7 most of the photoreceptors were lost. The number of ganglion cells did not change significantly at all time points after MNU injection. In contrast, melanopsin mRNA decreased gradually with the loss of photoreceptors, at the same time pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) mRNA levels, which co-express with melanopsin in ganglion cells, were not affected by MNU treatment, indicating decrease of melanopsin mRNA levels is not due to ganglion cell damage. Distribution of melanopsin protein in the dendrites of ganglion cells dramatically decreased with the degeneration of photoreceptors, but its expression in the soma persisted for a long time. Our results suggest that intact photoreceptors maintain the expression of melanopsin and its distribution in ganglion cell dendrites.
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China.
Jin
J
Wan
Hua
H
Zheng
Bao-Yang
BY
Hu
Hong-Lei
HL
Xiao
Zhen-Jue
ZJ
She
Zu-Lin
ZL
Chen
Guo-Min
GM
Zhou
D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008770:Methylnitrosourea / Q000633:toxicity; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D000099210:Melanopsin
D000477:Alkylating Agents; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D017299:Rod Opsins; D000099210:Melanopsin