The Blue Light-Responsive Lateral Pathway of the Retinohypothalamic Tract Promotes Endocannabinoid-Driven Modulation of Orexin Neurons.

ABSTRACT: Circadian light influences brain functions in mammals. Photic non-image-forming stimuli are transduced into electrochemical signals by photosensitive retinal ganglion cells containing melanopsin, a selective blue light-responsive photopigment. The hypothalamus receives light-related information via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). Here, we demonstrate that, in the mouse, a lateral branch of the RHT (l-RHT) projects monosynaptically to orexin-A (OX-A) neurons in the perifornical hypothalamic area (PFH). Intravitreal injection of the anterograde tracer cholera toxin-β (CTβ) filled most of the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGluT1)/cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R)-positive retinal-derived inputs projecting to the OX-A neurons. Monocular injection of Fluo4-Dextran, a fluorimetric sensor of c

SUBMITTER: Forte N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12181770 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature