TY - JOUR
T1 - Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice
AU - Lucas, R. J.
AU - Hattar, S.
AU - Takao, M.
AU - Berson, D. M.
AU - Foster, R. G.
AU - Yau, K. W.
PY - 2003/1/10
Y1 - 2003/1/10
N2 - In the mammalian retina, a small subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are intrinsically photosensitive, express the opsin-like protein melanopsin, and project to brain nuclei involved in non-image-forming visual functions such as pupillary light reflex and circadian photoentrainment. We report that in mice with the melanopsin gene ablated, RGCs retrograde-labeled from the suprachiasmatic nuclei were no longer intrinsically photosensitive, although their number, morphology, and projections were unchanged. These animals showed a pupillary light reflex indistinguishable from that of the wild type at low irradiances, but at high irradiances the reflex was incomplete, a pattern that suggests that the melanopsin-associated system and the classical rod/cone system are complementary in function.
AB - In the mammalian retina, a small subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are intrinsically photosensitive, express the opsin-like protein melanopsin, and project to brain nuclei involved in non-image-forming visual functions such as pupillary light reflex and circadian photoentrainment. We report that in mice with the melanopsin gene ablated, RGCs retrograde-labeled from the suprachiasmatic nuclei were no longer intrinsically photosensitive, although their number, morphology, and projections were unchanged. These animals showed a pupillary light reflex indistinguishable from that of the wild type at low irradiances, but at high irradiances the reflex was incomplete, a pattern that suggests that the melanopsin-associated system and the classical rod/cone system are complementary in function.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1077293
DO - 10.1126/science.1077293
M3 - Article
C2 - 12522249
AN - SCOPUS:0347926182
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 299
SP - 245
EP - 247
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 5604
ER -