Review
Physiology
Gordon L. Fain, Alapakkam P. Sampath
Summary: Cone photoreceptors are crucial for human visual experience, but their physiology is still not well understood due to their smaller size and fewer numbers compared to rods. Current research focuses on issues such as the kinetics of cone response, the role of channels, mechanisms for responsiveness in bright light, visual pigment regeneration, and energy consumption in comparison to rods.
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Nikolai P. P. Skiba, Tylor R. R. Lewis, William J. J. Spencer, Carson M. M. Castillo, Andrej Shevchenko, Vadim Y. Y. Arshavsky
Summary: We used quantitative mass spectrometry to determine the abundances of 20 key proteins in mouse rod outer segments, and calculated the absolute number of molecules and molar ratios for each protein. This study resolved discrepancies in the reported abundances of these proteins and advanced our understanding of the coordinated molecular function of the phototransduction pathway.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Trevor D. Lamb
Summary: The vertebrate retina utilizes a duplex system of photoreceptors, rods and cones, to detect light under different levels of illumination. Rods are more sensitive but slower in response, functioning effectively in low light, while cones respond rapidly and work in brighter conditions. These two types of cells use different genes for the process of light detection, representing a unique evolutionary system.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aritra Bej, James B. Ames
Summary: Retinal cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels play a crucial role in visual phototransduction. This review discusses the binding of calmodulin to CNGB1 subunits and its impact on channel desensitization and retinal disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michihiko Aramaki, Xuefeng Wu, Hong Liu, Ye Liu, Young-Wook Cho, Mina Song, Yulong Fu, Lily Ng, Douglas Forrest
Summary: Cone photoreceptor diversity is crucial for color vision, but little is known about the control of diversity in these neurons. In this study, the researchers derived a Cre driver to isolate individual M and S opsin-enriched cones in mice and identified expression gradients for groups of genes. They found that thyroid hormone receptor ss 2 (TR ss 2) plays a role in controlling the expression of these genes and promoting cone diversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Annia Abtout, Gordon Fain, Jurgen Reingruber
Summary: This study analyzed the contribution of various biological processes in the photoreceptor light response, finding that the shape of the response is controlled by deactivation parameters, while activation parameters scale the shape and affect the amplitude. The rising phase of the response is shown to depend on Ca2+ feedback, contrary to previous belief. New methods were devised to extract activation and deactivation rates from the analysis of response shape and amplitude.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Khris G. Griffis, Katherine E. Fehlhaber, Fred Rieke, Alapakkam P. Sampath
Summary: The sensitivity of retinal cells is altered in response to background light. The sensitivity adjustments in rods and postsynaptic modulation of the transduction cascade in rod bipolar cells are involved in this adaptation. The background illumination affects both rod and rod bipolar cell sensitivity.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Federica Genovese, Johannes Reisert, Vladimir J. Kefalov
Summary: The past decades have seen significant progress in understanding the function of photoreceptors and olfactory sensory neurons. This progress has been driven by the combination of physiological experimental tools and genetic manipulations, which have allowed researchers to identify molecular players in sensory neuron transduction cascades, explore how properties impact stimulus detection and disease effects on vision and smell.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Alexandra V. Garafalo, Rebecca Sheplock, Alexander Sumaroka, Alejandro J. Roman, Artur V. Cideciyan, Samuel G. Jacobson
Summary: Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) encompass cone-rod diseases, which have complex etiologies and can lead to vision loss. Among the causative genes, there is diversity, leading to a variety of disease manifestations, and paving the way for potential therapies.
Article
Neurosciences
Rikard Frederiksen, Ala Morshedian, Sonia A. Tripathy, Tongzhou Xu, Gabriel H. Travis, Gordon L. Fain, Alapakkam P. Sampath
Summary: Rod photoreceptors can become saturated by bright background light, but recent experiments have shown that they can also recover sensitivity and maintain responses even under prolonged exposure to bright light. The reduction of translocation of G protein transducin in transgenic mice may affect the recovery ability, and a novel mechanism of visual-pigment regeneration within the rod itself enables them to remain responsive. This allows rods to avoid extended closure of transduction channels, which could lead to photoreceptor degeneration.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Gregor Belusic, Marko Ilic, Andrej Meglic, Primoz Pirih
Summary: A novel class of green-sensitive photoreceptors, G+R- cells, have been discovered in butterflies, showing hyperpolarizing responses to red light and interacting with red opponent units R9. This mechanism has been found in various butterfly species, suggesting the potential for tetrachromacy in their visual systems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Joni Kemppainen, Neveen Mansour, Jouni Takalo, Mikko Juusola
Summary: In this study, a new microscopy technique was introduced to non-invasively assess the microsaccades and rhabdomere orientations of photoreceptors in insect compound eyes. By comparing different insect eyes, it was found that different eye types sample light information in different ways, highlighting how compound eyes convert light patterns into neural signals and how this active sampling can evolve based on insects' visual needs.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Henrik Hertz, Aurea Susana Blancas-Velazquez, Martin Fredensborg Rath
Summary: Homeobox genes are expressed postnatally in the pineal gland and retina, playing a role in melatonin synthesis and phototransduction. Rat pinealocyte culture is used as an in vitro model for studying retinal phototransduction. Individual knockdown of certain homeobox genes in pinealocytes led to downregulation of phototransduction genes, suggesting that homeobox gene-encoded transcription factors control postnatal expression of phototransduction genes in the retinal photoreceptor.
JOURNAL OF PINEAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Darya A. Nikolaeva, Maria A. Nekrasova, Alexander Yu. Rotov, Luba A. Astakhova
Summary: Visual rods and cones in vertebrates have the ability to adapt to a wide range of ambient illumination through light adaptation mechanisms. Previous studies have established three calcium-sensitive feedback loops in both rods and cones. New evidence suggests that the molecular mechanisms of light adaptation may be more complex. This study focuses on a novel phenomenon called "adaptation memory" in rods and cones, where the recovery of light sensitivity takes seconds and the sensitivity remains decreased for minutes. The nature of this phenomenon differs between rods and cones, with the former being associated with long-lasting modifications of the phototransduction cascade and the latter being caused by bleaching of the visual pigment.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biology
Ely Contreras, Alexis P. Nobleman, Phyllis R. Robinson, Tiffany M. Schmidt
Summary: Melanopsin is a visual pigment expressed in a small subset of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, regulating both non-image forming and image-forming visual functions. Recent research has identified multiple subtypes of ipRGCs with unique properties, challenging the traditional view of melanopsin phototransduction as a single pathway.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Patrick Theer, Winfried Denk, Mordechai Sheves, Aaron Lewis, Peter B. Detwiler
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2011)
Article
Neurosciences
G. S. Newkirk, M. Hoon, R. O. Wong, P. B. Detwiler
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2013)
Article
Neurosciences
David J. Margolis, Gregory Newkirk, Thomas Euler, Peter B. Detwiler
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2008)
Article
Neurosciences
Christopher M. Davenport, Peter B. Detwiler, Dennis M. Dacey
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2008)
Article
Neurosciences
Joanna D. Crook, Christopher M. Davenport, Beth B. Peterson, Orin S. Packer, Peter B. Detwiler, Dennis M. Dacey
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2009)
Article
Neurosciences
David J. Margolis, Andrew J. Gartland, Thomas Euler, Peter B. Detwiler
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2010)
Article
Neurosciences
Andrew J. Gartland, Peter B. Detwiler
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2011)
Article
Physiology
Thomas Euler, Susanne E. Hausselt, David J. Margolis, Tobias Breuninger, Xavier Castell, Peter B. Detwiler, Winfried Denk
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2009)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Susanne E. Hausselt, Thomas Euler, Peter B. Detwiler, Winfried Denk
Article
Neurosciences
Christopher M. Davenport, Peter B. Detwiler, Dennis M. Dacey
VISUAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2007)
Article
Neurosciences
David J. Margolis, Peter B. Detwiler
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2007)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
H. Zhang, S. Li, T. Doan, F. Rieke, P. B. Detwiler, J. M. Frederick, W. Baehr
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2007)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thuy Doan, Ana Mendez, Peter B. Detwiler, Jeannie Chen, Fred Rieke
Article
Biophysics
S Ramanathan, PB Detwiler, AM Sengupta, BI Shraiman
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2005)