Melanopsin, a Canonical Light Receptor, Mediates Thermal Activation of Clock Genes.

ABSTRACT: Melanopsin (OPN4) is a photo-pigment found in a small subset of intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells (ipRGCs) of the mammalian retina. These cells play a role in synchronizing the central circadian pacemaker to the astronomical day by conveying information about ambient light to the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus, the site of the master clock. We evaluated the effect of a heat stimulus (39.5 °C) on clock gene (Per1 and Bmal1) expression in cultured murine Melan-a melanocytes synchronized by medium changes, and in B16-F10 melanoma cells, in the presence of the selective OPN4 antagonist AA92593, or after OPN4 knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA). In addition, we evaluated the effects of heat shock on the localization of melanopsin by immunocytochemistry. In both cell lines

SUBMITTER: Moraes MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5656685 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature