Melanopsin is a putative photopigment recently shown to be present in a small subset (1-2%) of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in rat and mouse. These cells project to non-image-forming visual centers in the brain, such as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the intergeniculate leaflet and the olivary pretectal nucleus. The long-term objective of this proposal is to understand the structure and function of the melanopsin-associated visual pathway in detail.
The specific aims are: 1) To map the projections of the melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells to the mouse brain in detail, 2) To assess the contribution of melanopsin-associated signaling versus that of rod/cone signaling to non-image-forming visual functions in mouse, 3) To study the light responses and the phototransduction mechanism of the intrinsically photosensitive, melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells, and 4) To study the characteristics of the melanopsin-expressing retinal neurons in primates and other vertebrates. The experimental approach will combine mouse genetics, cell biology, electrophysiology and some collaborative whole-animal physiological and behavioral experiments.
| Jiang, Zheng; Yue, Wendy W S; Chen, Lujing et al. (2018) Cyclic-Nucleotide- and HCN-Channel-Mediated Phototransduction in Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells. Cell 175:652-664.e12 |
| Wang, Qian; Yue, Wendy Wing Sze; Jiang, Zheng et al. (2017) Synergistic Signaling by Light and Acetylcholine in Mouse Iris Sphincter Muscle. Curr Biol 27:1791-1800.e5 |
| Liao, Hsi-Wen; Ren, Xiaozhi; Peterson, Beth B et al. (2016) Melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells on macaque and human retinas form two morphologically distinct populations. J Comp Neurol 524:2845-72 |
| Buhr, Ethan D; Yue, Wendy W S; Ren, Xiaozhi et al. (2015) Neuropsin (OPN5)-mediated photoentrainment of local circadian oscillators in mammalian retina and cornea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:13093-8 |
| Do, Michael Tri Hoang; Yau, King-Wai (2013) Adaptation to steady light by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:7470-5 |
| Sakai, Kazumi; Imamoto, Yasushi; Su, Chih-Ying et al. (2012) Photochemical nature of parietopsin. Biochemistry 51:1933-41 |
| Schmidt, Tiffany M; Do, Michael Tri H; Dacey, Dennis et al. (2011) Melanopsin-positive intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells: from form to function. J Neurosci 31:16094-101 |
| Xue, T; Do, M T H; Riccio, A et al. (2011) Melanopsin signalling in mammalian iris and retina. Nature 479:67-73 |
| Müller, Luis Pérez de Sevilla; Do, Michael Tri H; Yau, King-Wai et al. (2010) Tracer coupling of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells to amacrine cells in the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 518:4813-24 |
| Do, Michael Tri Hoang; Yau, King-Wai (2010) Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Physiol Rev 90:1547-81 |
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