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A post-genomic quantitative approach to examining the roles of specific retinal photoreceptor classes in decoding the light environment in mammals

Reference	BBS/B/09678
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Robert Lucas
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Mark Hankins
Institution	The University of Manchester
Department	Life Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	317,037
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	13/09/2004
End date	12/11/2008
Duration	50 months

Abstract

The mammalian retina contains three photoreceptor types - rods, cones and a small number of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Several light responses, including the pupillary light reflex (PLR) and circadian photoentrainment can receive input from both rods/cones and ipRGCs. We have shown that, for the dark-adapted PLR, there is little overlap in the function of these photoreceptors, with ipRGCs complementing the activity of rods and cones by measuring only very bright light. We propose extending this analysis by undertaking precise measures of the contribution of rods, cones and ipRGCs to decoding other aspects of the light environment for pupillary, circadian, pineal and masking responses. These experiments will use mice in which rod, cone or ipRGC phototransduction are ablated without affecting the other photoreceptor classes.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	Neuroscience and Behaviour
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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