Clock gene expression in the rat retina: effects of lighting conditions and photoreceptor degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies have shown that, in the Royal College of Surgeon rat, circadian rhythms in the retinal dopaminergic and melatonergic systems are still present after the photoreceptors have degenerated, thus demonstrating that circadian rhythmicity in the mammalian retina can be generated independently from the photoreceptors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pattern of expression of the clock genes in the retina of the Royal College of Surgeons rat under different lighting conditions. Expression of clock genes was investigated in the retina of normal and dystrophic Royal College of Surgeons rats under 12 h of light/12 h of dark (LD), constant darkness (DD) and constant light (LL) using Real Time Quantitative RT-PCR. Our data indicate that, in control animals, Period1, P

SUBMITTER: Tosini G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1994112 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature