Signal transmission from pineal photoreceptors to luminosity-type ganglion cells in the lamprey, Lampetra japonica

Uchida, Katsuhisa; Nakamura, Takabun; Morita, Yukitomo

doi:10.1016/0306-4522(92)90136-p

Cited by 19 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Light interrupts the dark current of the pineal photoreceptor and disrupts the secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters . This results in hyperpolarization of second-order neurons that convey information on solar radiation and day length via a pineal tract to deeper areas in the brain (Uchida et al ., 1992) . Chelonians and lacertilians have rudimentary pineal photoreceptors, whereas ophidians, birds, and mammals have predominantly secretory pinealocytes (Underwood, 1989) .…”

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confidence: 99%

The Mammalian Pineal Expresses the Cone but Not the Rod Cyclic GMP Phosphodiesterase

Carcamo

Hurwitz²,

Craft

et al. 1995

Journal of Neurochemistry

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To determine the presence of cone or rod cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (EC 3 .1 .4 .17) in the mammalian pineal, extracts from adult rat and bovine pineals were injected onto a Mono Q anion-exchange HPLC column and eluted with an NaCl linear gradient . Fractions were immunoadsorbed with monoclonal antibodies specific to rod and cone phosphodiesterases (ROS-1) and to calmodulin-phosphodiesterase complexes (ACC) . Profiles were assayed with 10 pmol/L [ 3 H]cyclic GMP in the presence of calcium -calmodulin, histone, or trypsin . Rat and bovine pineals displayed a single peak of activity recognized by ROS-1, which corresponded to the activity of the cone but not to the rod in bovine retina . ROS-1 immunoadsorbed -80% of the activity in the 60-day-old rat pineal but only 26% of the activity in bovine pineal . ACC immunoadsorbed the remaining activity in both species . Western blot analysis of rat pineal extracts revealed three polypeptides of -87, 15, and 10 kDa when probed with a rod/cone phosphodiesterase-specific antiserum . The specific activity of the cone-like phosphodiesterase in 10-day-old rat pineals was twice that of this isozyme in the bovine retina and 150 times that in the bovine pineal . The specific activity of phosphodiesterase in rat pineals decreased with age . We conclude that an enzyme with biochemical and antigenic characteristics similar to cone, but distinct from rod phosphodiesterase, is present in bovine and rat pineals .

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confidence: 99%

The Mammalian Pineal Expresses the Cone but Not the Rod Cyclic GMP Phosphodiesterase

Carcamo

Hurwitz²,

Craft

et al. 1995

Journal of Neurochemistry

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“…One was a 525-photoreceptor with a peak spectral sensitivity of 522-525 nm [8,18], and the other was a UV-receptor peaking at 380 nm [9]. Achromatic-type neurons and the 525-photoreceptor have the same spectral sensitivity [5]. The spectral sensitivity of the inhibitory response of the chromatic-type neurons and that of the UV-receptor are almost the same [4].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…The synaptic mechanism of the inhibitory response of an achromatic-type neuron is a type of disfacilitation [5]. A photoreceptor concerning the achromatic response releases an excitatory transmitter in darkness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of cGMP and cAMP on Light Responses of the Photosensory Pineal Neurons in the Lamprey, <i>Lampetra japonica</i>

Uchida

Samejima²,

Kawata³

et al. 2001

Neurosignals

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We examined in this study how external cyclic nucleotides affect the light response mechanism of the pineal photoreceptors and explored the existence of parietal eye type of photoreceptor of which the internal cGMP concentration increased during the light response. Pineal organs of river lampreys, Lampetra japonica, were treated with 8-bromo guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8Br-cGMP) or 8-bromo adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8Br-cAMP) before light stimuli, and the light responses were recorded from the second order neurons, chromatic or achromatic-type neurons. Excitatory and inhibitory light responses of the chromatic-type neuron became obscure by 9 and 3 mM 8Br-cGMP without changing the spontaneous spike discharge in the dark. 8Br-cAMP (3 mM) increased the frequency of spontaneous spike discharge, though it did not inhibit the light responses themselves. The inhibitory light response of the achromatic-type neuron decreased after adding 3 mM 8Br-cGMP, and it was unchanged by 3 mM 8Br-cAMP. The spontaneous spike discharge of the neurons in the dark was not affected by the cyclic nucleotides. The mechanism of these results can be explained if cGMP is an intracellular second messenger of light responses in the pineal photoreceptors and the blocking effect on photoresponses by externally applied 8Br-cGMP is caused by compensating for the reduction in intracellular cGMP by light. However, it does not indicate that the parietal eye type of photoreceptor found in lizard participates in the chromatic and achromatic-type responses in the lamprey pineal organ.

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“…But elevated spontaneous release in the absence of Cplx would mimic darkness in terms of downstream signaling to second-order ganglion cells in the pineal organ. Pineal photoreceptor cells make excitatory connections with ganglion cells (e.g., Uchida et al, 1992), which are therefore excited in darkness and cease firing when photoreceptors hyperpolarize in response to illumination. We hypothesize that in the absence of Cplx4a, release continues during illumination, ganglion cells fire, and pigment aggregates in melanophores, as it would in darkness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stabilization of Spontaneous Neurotransmitter Release at Ribbon Synapses by Ribbon-Specific Subtypes of Complexin

et al. 2013

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Ribbon synapses of tonically releasing sensory neurons must provide a large pool of releasable vesicles for sustained release, while minimizing spontaneous release in the absence of stimulation. Complexins are presynaptic proteins that may accomplish this dual task at conventional synapses, by interacting with the molecular machinery of synaptic vesicle fusion at the active zone to retard spontaneous vesicle exocytosis yet facilitate release evoked by depolarization. However, ribbon synapses of photoreceptor cells and bipolar neurons in the retina express distinct Complexin subtypes, perhaps reflecting the special requirements of these synapses for tonic release. To investigate the role of ribbon-specific Complexins in transmitter release, we combined presynaptic voltage-clamp, fluorescence imaging, electron microscopy, and behavioral assays of photoreceptive function in zebrafish. Acute interference with Complexin function using a peptide derived from the SNARE-binding domain increased spontaneous synaptic vesicle fusion at ribbon synapses of retinal bipolar neurons without affecting release triggered by depolarization. Knockdown of Complexin by injection of an antisense morpholino into zebrafish embryos prevented photoreceptor-driven migration of pigment in skin melanophores and caused the pigment distribution to remain in the dark-adapted state even when embryos were exposed to light. This suggests that loss of Complexin function elevated spontaneous release in illuminated photoreceptors sufficiently to mimic the higher release rate normally associated with darkness, thus interfering with visual signaling. We conclude that visual system-specific Complexins are required for proper illumination-dependent modulation of the rate of neurotransmitter release at visual system ribbon synapses.

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Signal transmission from pineal photoreceptors to luminosity-type ganglion cells in the lamprey, Lampetra japonica

Cited by 19 publications

References 31 publications

The Mammalian Pineal Expresses the Cone but Not the Rod Cyclic GMP Phosphodiesterase

The Mammalian Pineal Expresses the Cone but Not the Rod Cyclic GMP Phosphodiesterase

Effects of cGMP and cAMP on Light Responses of the Photosensory Pineal Neurons in the Lamprey, <i>Lampetra japonica</i>

Stabilization of Spontaneous Neurotransmitter Release at Ribbon Synapses by Ribbon-Specific Subtypes of Complexin

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