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Melanopsin cells are the principal conduits for rod-cone input to non-image-forming vision

Güler, A.D., Ecker, J.L., Lall, Gurprit S., Haq, S., Altimus, C.M., Liao, H.-W., Barnard, A.R., Cahill, H., Badea, T.C., Zhao, H., and others. (2008) Melanopsin cells are the principal conduits for rod-cone input to non-image-forming vision. Nature, 453 (7191). pp. 102-105. ISSN 0028-0836. (doi:10.1038/nature06829) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:29406)

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Abstract

Rod and cone photoreceptors detect light and relay this information through a multisynaptic pathway to the brain by means of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs)1. These retinal outputs support not only pattern vision but also non-image-forming (NIF) functions, which include circadian photoentrainment and pupillary light reflex (PLR). In mammals, NIF functions are mediated by rods, cones and the melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs)2,3. Rod–cone photoreceptors and ipRGCs are complementary in signalling light intensity for NIF functions4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. The ipRGCs, in addition to being directly photosensitive, also receive synaptic input from rod–cone networks13,14. To determine how the ipRGCs relay rod–cone light information for both image-forming and non-image-forming functions, we genetically ablated ipRGCs in mice. Here we show that animals lacking ipRGCs retain pattern vision but have deficits in both PLR and circadian photoentrainment that are more extensive than those observed in melanopsin knockouts8,10,11. The defects in PLR and photoentrainment resemble those observed in animals that lack phototransduction in all three photoreceptor classes6. These results indicate that light signals for irradiance detection are dissociated from pattern vision at the retinal ganglion cell level, and animals that cannot detect light for NIF functions are still capable of image formation.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1038/nature06829
Subjects: Q Science > QP Physiology (Living systems)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Medway School of Pharmacy
Depositing User: Gurprit Lall
Date Deposited: 31 Oct 2014 17:06 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:07 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/29406 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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