We live on a planet that is bathed in daily and seasonal sunlight cycles. In this context,
terrestrial life forms have evolved mechanisms that directly harness light energy (plants) or …

The molecular circadian clocks in the mammalian retina are locally synchronized by
environmental light cycles independent of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the brain. …

The opsin family of G-protein-coupled receptors are used as light detectors in animals. Opsin
5 (also known as neuropsin or OPN5) is a highly conserved opsin that is sensitive to visible …

Nearly all mammalian tissues have functional, autonomous circadian clocks, which free-run
with non-24 h periods and must be synchronized (entrained) to the 24 h day. This …

During mouse postnatal eye development, the embryonic hyaloid vascular network regresses
from the vitreous as an adaption for high-acuity vision. This process occurs with precisely …

Almost all life forms can detect and decode light information for adaptive advantage.
Examples include the visual system, in which photoreceptor signals are processed into virtual …

Activating non-inherited mutations in the guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(q) subunit
alpha (GNAQ) gene family have been identified in childhood vascular tumors. Patients …

Neuroblasts of the statoacoustic ganglion (SAG) initially form in the floor of the otic vesicle
during a relatively brief developmental window. They soon delaminate and undergo a …

The zebrafish otic vesicle initially forms with only two sensory epithelia, the utricular and
saccular maculae, which primarily mediate vestibular and auditory function, respectively. Here, …

Formation of neural and sensory progenitors in the inner ear requires Sox2 in mammals, and
in other species is thought to rely on both Sox2 and Sox3. How Sox2 and/or Sox3 promote …