Local photic entrainment of the retinal circadian oscillator in the absence of rods, cones, and melanopsin

May 21, 2014Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Light resets the eye’s internal clock even without rods, cones, or melanopsin

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Abstract

Retinas of Opn4(-/-);rd1/rd1 mice synchronize to light/dark cycles independently of the brain's master circadian pacemaker.

  • The mammalian retina functions as its own circadian clock.
  • Lighting cycles can entrain the retinal circadian clock in vitro without the involvement of rods, cones, or melanopsin.
  • In vivo observations indicate that retinal synchronization occurs regardless of the master circadian pacemaker's phase.
  • This suggests that the retina may utilize a distinct mechanism for local circadian entrainment compared to the overall organismal rhythm.

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