Intrinsic phototransduction persists in melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells lacking diacylglycerol-sensitive TRPC subunits.

ABSTRACT: In mammals, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) mediate various non-image-forming photic responses, such as circadian photoentrainment, pupillary light reflex and pineal melatonin suppression. ipRGCs directly respond to environmental light by activation of the photopigment melanopsin followed by the opening of an unidentified cation-selective channel. Studies in heterologous expression systems and in the native retina have strongly implicated diacylglycerol-sensitive transient receptor potential channels containing TRPC3, TRPC6 and TRPC7 subunits in melanopsin-evoked depolarization. Here we show that melanopsin-evoked electrical responses largely persist in ipRGCs recorded from early postnatal (P6-P8) and adult (P22-P50) mice lacking expression of functional TRPC3,

SUBMITTER: Perez-Leighton CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3076293 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature