A role for melanopsin in alpha retinal ganglion cells and contrast detection

Tiffany M Schmidt; Nazia M Alam; Shan Chen; Paulo Kofuji; Wei Li; Glen T Prusky; Samer Hattar

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2014.03.022

A role for melanopsin in alpha retinal ganglion cells and contrast detection

Neuron. 2014 May 21;82(4):781-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.03.022.

Authors

Tiffany M Schmidt¹, Nazia M Alam², Shan Chen³, Paulo Kofuji⁴, Wei Li³, Glen T Prusky², Samer Hattar⁵

Affiliations

¹ Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biology, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. Electronic address: tmschmidt@jhu.edu.
² Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY 10605, USA.
³ National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
⁴ University of Minnesota, Department of Neuroscience, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁵ Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biology, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neuroscience, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.

Abstract

Distinct subclasses of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) mediate vision and nonimage-forming functions such as circadian photoentrainment. This distinction stems from studies that ablated melanopsin-expressing intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs) and showed deficits in nonimage-forming behaviors, but not image vision. However, we show that the ON alpha RGC, a conventional RGC type, is intrinsically photosensitive in mammals. In addition to their classical response to fast changes in contrast through rod/cone signaling, melanopsin expression allows ON alpha RGCs to signal prior light exposure and environmental luminance over long periods of time. Consistent with the high contrast sensitivity of ON alpha RGCs, mice lacking either melanopsin or ON alpha RGCs have behavioral deficits in contrast sensitivity. These findings indicate a surprising role for melanopsin and ipRGCs in vision.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

Action Potentials / drug effects
Action Potentials / genetics
Animals
Contrast Sensitivity / genetics
Contrast Sensitivity / physiology*
Excitatory Amino Acid Agents / pharmacology
Female
GABA Antagonists / pharmacology
Glycine Agents / pharmacology
In Vitro Techniques
Luminescent Proteins / genetics
Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Transgenic
Picrotoxin / pharmacology
Reaction Time / drug effects
Reaction Time / genetics
Retina / cytology
Retinal Ganglion Cells / classification*
Retinal Ganglion Cells / physiology*
Retinal Ganglion Cells / ultrastructure
Rod Opsins / deficiency
Rod Opsins / genetics
Rod Opsins / metabolism*
Rod Opsins / ultrastructure
Strychnine / pharmacology

Substances

Excitatory Amino Acid Agents
GABA Antagonists
Glycine Agents
Luminescent Proteins
Rod Opsins
melanopsin
Picrotoxin
Strychnine

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding