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Melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells in primate retina signal colour and irradiance and project to the LGN

Author

Listed:
  • Dennis M. Dacey

    (University of Washington)

  • Hsi-Wen Liao

    (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

  • Beth B. Peterson

    (University of Washington)

  • Farrel R. Robinson

    (University of Washington)

  • Vivianne C. Smith

    (University of Chicago, Vision Science Laboratories)

  • Joel Pokorny

    (University of Chicago, Vision Science Laboratories)

  • King-Wai Yau

    (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

  • Paul D. Gamlin

    (University of Alabama at Birmingham, Vision Science Research Center)

Abstract

Rods and cones... and these The recent discovery of inner retinal photoreceptors in mammals and fish was a major surprise. Present in addition to the well known rods and cones, these receptors are thought to detect irradiance levels, and to be linked to the night-and-day regulation of the circadian system. Two new studies show that melanopsin, found almost exclusively in these ‘ganglion-cell photoreceptors’, is photosensitive. Qiu et al. turn mammalian kidney cells into functional photoreceptors by introducing melanopsin, and Melyan et al. do a similar trick in neuronal cells. These findings could have clinical applications, possibly allowing selective stimulation of cells in the brain and helping to restore sight lost due to retinal degeneration. A further study identifies a previously unknown retinal population of ‘giant’ melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells. They are photosensitive but are also activated by rods and cones, thereby merging the conventional ‘image forming’ pathway with the radiance-detecting pathway in primates.

Suggested Citation

  • Dennis M. Dacey & Hsi-Wen Liao & Beth B. Peterson & Farrel R. Robinson & Vivianne C. Smith & Joel Pokorny & King-Wai Yau & Paul D. Gamlin, 2005. "Melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells in primate retina signal colour and irradiance and project to the LGN," Nature, Nature, vol. 433(7027), pages 749-754, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:433:y:2005:i:7027:d:10.1038_nature03387
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03387
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    Cited by:

    1. Rongpeng Zhang & Carolina Campanella & Sara Aristizabal & Anja Jamrozik & Jie Zhao & Paige Porter & Shaun Ly & Brent A. Bauer, 2020. "Impacts of Dynamic LED Lighting on the Well-Being and Experience of Office Occupants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-27, October.
    2. Christine Blume & Christian Cajochen & Isabel Schöllhorn & Helen C. Slawik & Manuel Spitschan, 2024. "Effects of calibrated blue–yellow changes in light on the human circadian clock," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(3), pages 590-605, March.
    3. Yeon Jin Kim & Beth B. Peterson & Joanna D. Crook & Hannah R. Joo & Jiajia Wu & Christian Puller & Farrel R. Robinson & Paul D. Gamlin & King-Wai Yau & Felix Viana & John B. Troy & Robert G. Smith & O, 2022. "Origins of direction selectivity in the primate retina," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, December.
    4. Babak Zandi & Adrian Eissfeldt & Alexander Herzog & Tran Quoc Khanh, 2021. "Melanopic Limits of Metamer Spectral Optimisation in Multi-Channel Smart Lighting Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-16, January.

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