Irradiance encoding in the suprachiasmatic nuclei by rod and cone photoreceptors. by van Diepen, H, Ramkisoensing, A, Peirson, S, Foster, R, Meijer, J

“…Essential for synchronization is the capacity of SCN neurons to respond in a sustained and irradiance-dependent manner to light. Melanopsin has been considered to mediate this photosensory task of irradiance detection. …”

Mouse ganglion-cell photoreceptors are driven by the most sensitive rod pathway and by both types of cones. by Shijun Weng, Maureen E Estevez, David M Berson

“…Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (iprgcs) are depolarized by light by two mechanisms: directly, through activation of their photopigment melanopsin; and indirectly through synaptic circuits driven by rods and cones. …”
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<it>In silico </it>characterisation and chromosomal localisation of human <it>RRH </it>(peropsin) – implications for opsin evolution by Foster Russell G, Wells Dominic J, Bellingham James

“…Exceptions to this are RGR-opsin and melanopsin, whose genes have very different intron insertion positions. …”
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Dim light in the evening causes coordinated realignment of circadian rhythms, sleep, and short-term memory by Tam, SKE, Brown, LA, Wilson, TS, Tir, S, Fisk, AS, Pothecary, CA, van der Vinne, V, Foster, RG, Vyazovskiy, VV, Bannerman, DM, Harrington, ME, Peirson, SN

“…In addition to rods and cones, the retina contains a small population of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs) expressing the photopigment melanopsin (OPN4). Concerns have been raised that exposure to dim artificial lighting in the evening (DLE) may perturb circadian rhythms and sleep patterns, and OPN4 is presumed to mediate these effects. …”

The potential influence of LED lighting on mental illness by Bauer, M, Glenn, T, Monteith, S, Gottlieb, J, Ritter, P, Geddes, J, Whybrow, P

“…These two breakthroughs are interrelated because unlike conventional lighting, white LEDs have a dominant spectral wavelength in the blue light range, near the peak sensitivity for the melanopsin system.</p> <h4>Methods</h4> <p>Pertinent articles were identified.…”

Glaucoma alters the circadian timing system. by Elise Drouyer, Ouria Dkhissi-Benyahya, Christophe Chiquet, Elizabeth WoldeMussie, Guadalupe Ruiz, Larry A Wheeler, Philippe Denis, Howard M Cooper

“…Quantitative PCR reveals the novel finding that melanopsin as well as rod and cone opsin mRNAs are significantly reduced in glaucomatous retinas. …”
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Contribution of the eye and of opn4xa function to circadian photoentrainment in the diurnal zebrafish. by Clair Chaigne, Dora Sapède, Xavier Cousin, Laurent Sanchou, Patrick Blader, Elise Cau

“…One of the zebrafish melanopsin genes, opn4xa, is expressed in RGCs but also in photosensitive projection neurons in the pineal gland. …”
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The effects of rod and cone loss on the photic regulation of locomotor activity and heart rate. by Thompson, S, Lupi, D, Hankins, M, Peirson, S, Foster, R

“…Both the basis for this response and the contribution of rods, cones and melanopsin-based photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs) remains unknown. …”

Preliminary evidence for a change in spectral sensitivity of the circadian system at night by Parsons Robert H, Bullough John D, Figueiro Mariana G, Rea Mark S

“…These findings are hypothesized to be the result of a change in the sensitivity of the melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells to light during the night.…”
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Chronic artificial blue-enriched white light is an effective countermeasure to delayed circadian phase and neurobehavioral decrements. by Raymond P Najjar, Luzian Wolf, Jacques Taillard, Luc J M Schlangen, Alex Salam, Christian Cajochen, Claude Gronfier

“…We propose that the superior efficacy of blue-enriched white light versus standard white light involves melanopsin-based mechanisms in the activation of the non-visual functions studied, and that their responses do not dampen with time (over 9-weeks). …”
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Genetic interactions between Brn3 transcription factors in retinal ganglion cell type specification. by Melody Shi, Sumit R Kumar, Oluwaseyi Motajo, Friedrich Kretschmer, Xiuqian Mu, Tudor C Badea

“…They demonstrate that Brn3b is required for the correct development of more RGC cell types than suggested by its expression pattern in the adult, but that several cell types, including some Brn3a, Brn3c or Melanopsin positive RGCs are Brn3b independent.…”
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Phenotype Characterization of a Mice Genetic Model of Absolute Blindness by Santiago Milla-Navarro, Mateo Pazo-González, Francisco Germain, Pedro de la Villa

“…Immunohistochemical staining showed marked degeneration of the outer retinal layers and the absence of melanopsin staining. The combination of both mutations has generated an animal model that does not show any photosensitive element in its retina. …”
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Relationship between Human Pupillary Light Reflex and Circadian System Status. by Maria Angeles Bonmati-Carrion, Konstanze Hild, Cheryl Isherwood, Stephen J Sweeney, Victoria L Revell, Debra J Skene, Maria Angeles Rol, Juan Antonio Madrid

“…Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), whose photopigment melanopsin has a peak of sensitivity in the short wavelength range of the spectrum, constitute a common light input pathway to the olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN), the pupillary light reflex (PLR) regulatory centre, and to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the major pacemaker of the circadian system. …”
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Residual photosensitivity in mice lacking both rod opsin and cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide gated channel 3 alpha subunit by Barnard, A, Appleford, J, Sekaran, S, Chinthapalli, K, Jenkins, A, Seeliger, M, Biel, M, Humphries, P, Douglas, R, Wenzel, A, Foster, R, Hankins, M, Lucas, R

“…The average number of cells affected is several times greater than the number of melanopsin-positive cells in the mouse retina, suggesting functional intercellular connections from these inner retinal photoreceptors within the retina. …”

Residual photosensitivity in mice lacking both rod opsin and cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide gated channel 3 alpha subunit. by Barnard, A, Appleford, J, Sekaran, S, Chinthapalli, K, Jenkins, A, Seeliger, M, Biel, M, Humphries, P, Douglas, R, Wenzel, A, Foster, R, Hankins, M, Lucas, R

“…The average number of cells affected is several times greater than the number of melanopsin-positive cells in the mouse retina, suggesting functional intercellular connections from these inner retinal photoreceptors within the retina. …”

Optogenetic gene therapy for vision restoration by Hickey, D

“…Of these, wild type rhodopsin, melanopsin and melanopsin–Gα subunit fusion constructs show the most promise for future studies.…”

Role of cryptochromes in retinal responses to light by Wong, J

“…</p> <p>The role of melanopsin in retinal rhythms is also investigated. …”

Profound defects in pupillary responses to light in TRPM-channel null mice: a role for TRPM channels in non-image-forming photoreception. by Hughes, S, Pothecary, C, Jagannath, A, Foster, R, Hankins, M, Peirson, S

“…Immunolocalization studies suggest that TRPM1 is expressed in ON bipolar cells and also a subset of cells in the ganglion cell layer, including melanopsin-expressing photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs). …”

Effect of blue light on audiovisual integration by Yeh, S, Chen, Y, Chu, L

“…A subset of retinal ganglion cells expresses melanopsin, a photo-pigment with absorption spectrum peaking at 480 nm (i.e., blue light). …”

Impaired Circadian Photoentrainment in Opn5-Null Mice by Wataru Ota, Yusuke Nakane, Samer Hattar, Takashi Yoshimura

“…Summary: The master circadian pacemaker in mammals resides in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and is synchronized to ambient light/dark cycles (i.e., photoentrainment). Melanopsin (Opn4) and classical rod-cone photoreceptors are believed to provide all the photic input necessary for circadian photoentrainment. …”
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