RGD Reference Report - Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells: architecture, projections, and intrinsic photosensitivity. - Rat Genome Database

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Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells: architecture, projections, and intrinsic photosensitivity.

Authors: Hattar, S  Liao, HW  Takao, M  Berson, DM  Yau, KW 
Citation: Hattar S, etal., Science 2002 Feb 8;295(5557):1065-70.
RGD ID: 633348
Pubmed: PMID:11834834   (View Abstract at PubMed)
PMCID: PMC2885915   (View Article at PubMed Central)
DOI: DOI:10.1126/science.1069609   (Journal Full-text)

The primary circadian pacemaker, in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the mammalian brain, is photoentrained by light signals from the eyes through the retinohypothalamic tract. Retinal rod and cone cells are not required for photoentrainment. Recent evidence suggests that the entraining photoreceptors are retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that project to the SCN. The visual pigment for this photoreceptor may be melanopsin, an opsin-like protein whose coding messenger RNA is found in a subset of mammalian RGCs. By cloning rat melanopsin and generating specific antibodies, we show that melanopsin is present in cell bodies, dendrites, and proximal axonal segments of a subset of rat RGCs. In mice heterozygous for tau-lacZ targeted to the melanopsin gene locus, beta-galactosidase-positive RGC axons projected to the SCN and other brain nuclei involved in circadian photoentrainment or the pupillary light reflex. Rat RGCs that exhibited intrinsic photosensitivity invariably expressed melanopsin. Hence, melanopsin is most likely the visual pigment of phototransducing RGCs that set the circadian clock and initiate other non-image-forming visual functions.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
phototransduction  IDA 633348 RGD 

Cellular Component
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
membrane located_inTAS 633348PMID:11834834UniProt 

Molecular Function
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
G protein-coupled photoreceptor activity  IDA 633348 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Opn4  (opsin 4)

Objects referenced in this article
Gene Opn4 opsin 4 (melanopsin) Mus musculus

Additional Information