| First Author | Lucas RJ | Year | 2003 |
| Journal | Science | Volume | 299 |
| Issue | 5604 | Pages | 245-7 |
| PubMed ID | 12522249 | Mgi Jnum | J:81499 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2449424 | Doi | 10.1126/science.1077293 |
| Citation | Lucas RJ, et al. (2003) Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice. Science 299(5604):245-7 |
| abstractText | In the mammalian retina, a small subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are intrinsically photosensitive, express the opsin-like protein melanopsin, and project to brain nuclei involved in non-image-forming visual functions such as pupillary light reflex and circadian photoentrainment. We report that in mice with the melanopsin gene ablated, RGCs retrograde-labeled from the suprachiasmatic nuclei were no longer intrinsically photosensitive, although their number, morphology, and projections were unchanged. These animals showed a pupillary light reflex indistinguishable from that of the wild type at low irradiances, but at high irradiances the reflex was incomplete, a pattern that suggests that the melanopsin-associated system and the classical rod/cone system are complementary in function. |
