title: Phototransduction in mouse rods and cones.
abstract: Phototransduction is the process by which light triggers an electrical signal in a photoreceptor cell. Image-forming vision in vertebrates is mediated by two types of photoreceptors: the rods and the cones. In this review, we provide a summary of the success in which the mouse has served as a vertebrate model for studying rod phototransduction, with respect to both the activation and termination steps. Cones are still not as well-understood as rods partly because it is difficult to work with mouse cones due to their scarcity and fragility. The situation may change, however.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. fuyingbi@mail.jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Yingbin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: King-Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Yau
mesh_terms: D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004056:Differential Threshold; D008027:Light; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D012032:Refractory Period, Electrophysiological; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000378:metabolism; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology; D015293:Transducin / Q000378:metabolism; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012168:Retinal Pigments; D012243:Rhodopsin; D015293:Transducin