Rods-cones and melanopsin detect light and dark to modulate sleep independent of image formation

Altimus, Cara M.; Güler, Ali D.; Villa, Kathryn; McNeill, David S.; LeGates, Tara A.; Hattar, Samer

doi:10.1073/pnas.0808312105

Cited by 251 publications

(261 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Light presented to mice during the dark period activates neurons in the VLPO and induces sleep. These effects are still present, albeit reduced, in melanopsin knockout mice, indicating that rods and cones also participate in the effects of light on sleep (Altimus et al 2008;Lupi et al 2008;Tsai et al 2009) although a recent report indicates that some melanopsin KO mice exhibit lightinduced photosomnolence whereas other do not (Morin and Studholme 2011). The specific subtype of ipRGC innervating the VLPO is currently unknown.…”

Section: Iprgc Input To the Ventrolateral Preoptic Nucleusmentioning

confidence: 95%

Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells

Pickard

Sollars

2011

Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology 162

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Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) respond to light in the absence of all rod and cone photoreceptor input. The existence of these ganglion cell photoreceptors, although predicted from observations scattered over many decades, was not established until it was shown that a novel photopigment, melanopsin, was expressed in retinal ganglion cells of rodents and primates. Phototransduction in mammalian ipRGCs more closely resembles that of invertebrate than vertebrate photoreceptors and appears to be mediated by transient receptor potential channels. In the retina, ipRGCs provide excitatory drive to dopaminergic amacrine cells and ipRGCs are coupled to GABAergic amacrine cells via gap junctions. Several subtypes of ipRGC have been identified in rodents based on their morphology, physiology and expression of molecular markers. ipRGCs convey irradiance information centrally via the optic nerve to influence several functions including photoentrainment of the biological clock located in the hypothalamus, the pupillary light reflex, sleep and perhaps some aspects of vision. In addition, ipRGCs may also contribute irradiance signals that interface directly with the autonomic nervous system to regulate rhythmic gene activity in major organs of the body. Here we review the early work that provided the motivation for searching for a new mammalian photoreceptor, the ground-breaking discoveries, current progress that continues to reveal the unusual properties of these neuron photoreceptors, and directions for future investigation.Keywords: Melanopsin, Circadian rhythms, Suprachiasmatic nucleus, Retina digitalcommons.unl.edu P i c k a r d & S o l l a r S i n R e v P h y s i o l B i o c h e m P h a R m a c o l1 6 2 ( 2 0 1 2 ) Early Hints of a Third Photoreceptor in the Mammalian RetinaThe perception of shapes, color and objects moving in the world begins in the outer retina where light is absorbed by photopigments that are integral membrane apoproteins (opsins) covalently linked to a retinaldehyde chromophore in the rod and cone photoreceptors. The capturing of photons by rod and cone photoreceptors initiates a signaling cascade in which photon capture is converted into an electrical signal. The simplest common pathway these signals take from the eye to the brain is from the photoreceptors to bipolar cells to ganglion cells. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) convey the signals centrally as action potentials, transmitted via their axons in the optic nerve, to higher brain regions for integration and the further processing required for conscious visual perception (Fig. 1). Among non-mammalian vertebrates, photoreceptors are also found in locations outside the retina, including the pineal gland and in the brain itself. These extra-ocular photoreceptors mediate tasks not associated directly with visual perception (non-image forming functions such as hormone regulation). However, since the pioneering descriptions of the vertebrate retina by Santiago Ramón y Cajal in the late 1800s, it was believed that t...

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Section: Iprgc Input To the Ventrolateral Preoptic Nucleusmentioning

confidence: 95%

Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells

Pickard

Sollars

2011

Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology 162

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“…However, to date, lighting has not been optimised for the non-visual system and this will likely be a highly complex procedure. Firstly, it has been demonstrated, via physiological and behavioural studies in transgenic mice lacking specific photopigments, that the three photopigment classes contribute differentially to different non-visual responses Altimus et al, 2008;Lupi et al, 2008;Thompson et al, 2008;Tsai et al, 2009;Lall et al, 2010). Thus, optimal light for one situation/environment/population may not be effective or appropriate for another.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Human Nocturnal Nonvisual Responses to Monochromatic and Polychromatic Light With a Melanopsin Photosensitivity Function

Revell

Barrett

Schlangen

et al. 2010

Chronobiology International

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The short-wavelength (blue) light sensitivity of human non-visual responses is recognised as being melanopsin-based. However, whether melanopsin is the sole factor in determining the efficacy of a polychromatic light source in driving non-visual responses remains to be established. Monochromatic (λ max 437, 479 and 532 nm) and polychromatic (colour temperature: 4000 K and 17000 K) light stimuli were photon matched for their predicted ability to stimulate melanopsin, and their capacity to affect nocturnal melatonin levels, auditory reaction time and subjective alertness and mood was assessed.Young, healthy male participants aged 18 -35 years (23.6 ± 3.6 yrs; mean ± SD; n = 12) participated in 12 overnight sessions that included an individually timed 30 min light stimulus on the rising limb of the melatonin profile. At regular intervals before, during and after the light stimulus subjective mood and alertness were verbally assessed, blood samples were taken for analysis of plasma melatonin levels and an auditory reaction time task (psychomotor vigilance task: PVT) was performed. Proc GLM repeated measures ANOVA analysis revealed that significantly lower melatonin suppression was observed with the polychromatic light conditions (4000 K and 17000 K) compared to the 'melanopsin photonmatched' monochromatic light conditions (p < 0.05). In contrast, whilst subjective alertness significantly increased across the course of the light exposure it was significantly lower under the 479 nm monochromatic light condition compared to the 437 and 532 nm monochromatic and both polychromatic light conditions. The demonstration that the melatonin suppression response to polychromatic light was significantly lower than predicted by the melanopsin photosensitivity function suggests that this function is not the sole consideration when trying to predict the efficacy of broadband lighting. The different spectral sensitivity of the subjective alertness and melatonin suppression responses may imply a differential involvement of the cone photopigments. An analysis of the photon densities in specific wavelength bands for the polychromatic lights used in this and our previous study suggests that the spectral composition of a polychromatic light source, and particularly the very short wavelength content, may be critical in determining response magnitude for the non-visual effects of nocturnal light.4

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“…These photoreceptors do not necessarily include a member of the CRY family, since in the fungus Neurospora crassa, the light, oxygen, or voltage (LOV) domain-containing proteins White Collar1 as well as Vivid (VVD) play important roles in circadian oscillation (summarized in Chen et al, 2010). Moreover, in mouse, rod-cone and melanopsin-driven light inputs are transmitted to the brain by retinal ganglion cells (Altimus et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Flavin Binding Cryptochrome Photoreceptor Responds to Both Blue and Red Light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

et al. 2012

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Cryptochromes are flavoproteins that act as sensory blue light receptors in insects, plants, fungi, and bacteria. We have investigated a cryptochrome from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with sequence homology to animal cryptochromes and (6-4) photolyases. In response to blue and red light exposure, this animal-like cryptochrome (aCRY) alters the light-dependent expression of various genes encoding proteins involved in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis, light-harvesting complexes, nitrogen metabolism, cell cycle control, and the circadian clock. Additionally, exposure to yellow but not far-red light leads to comparable increases in the expression of specific genes; this expression is significantly reduced in an acry insertional mutant. These in vivo effects are congruent with in vitro data showing that blue, yellow, and red light, but not far-red light, are absorbed by the neutral radical state of flavin in aCRY. The aCRY neutral radical is formed following blue light absorption of the oxidized flavin. Red illumination leads to conversion to the fully reduced state. Our data suggest that aCRY is a functionally important blue and red light-activated flavoprotein. The broad spectral response implies that the neutral radical state functions as a dark form in aCRY and expands the paradigm of flavoproteins and cryptochromes as blue light sensors to include other light qualities.

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Rods-cones and melanopsin detect light and dark to modulate sleep independent of image formation

Cited by 251 publications

References 24 publications

Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells

Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells

Predicting Human Nocturnal Nonvisual Responses to Monochromatic and Polychromatic Light With a Melanopsin Photosensitivity Function

A Flavin Binding Cryptochrome Photoreceptor Responds to Both Blue and Red Light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

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