BBSRC Portfolio Analyser
Award details
Identification of a novel circadian photopigment in mammals
Reference
S11023
Principal Investigator / Supervisor
Professor Russell Foster
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution
Imperial College London
Department
Dept of Medicine
Funding type
Research
Value (£)
216,818
Status
Completed
Type
Research Grant
Start date
01/01/1999
End date
31/08/2003
Duration
56 months
Abstract
We have shown that mice lacking both rod and cone photoreceptors (rd/rd cl/+) remain capable of circadian responses to light, and enucleation blocks these responses. These data argue that mammals have unrecognised ocular photoreceptors which regulate temporal physiology. We have also isolated a partial clone of a novel opsin-like cDNA (C-B2X) from mouse and rat ocular tissue. We propose to: a) Determine the action spectrum for photoentrainment in rd/rd cl/+ mice in order to infer the absorbance characteristics of the uncharacterised circadian photoreceptors; b) Generate a full length clone for C-B2X opsin and determine its sites of expression using in situ hybridisation; c) Functionally express C- B2X opsin and relate its absorption spectrum to the action spectrum for rd/rd cl/+ mouse photoentrainment; d) Continue screening our rd/rd cl/+ retinal cDNA library for additional novel opsin- and G-protein sequences. The results from these experiments will be used to guide future transgenic experiments that will ablate C-B2X opsin expression.
Summary
unavailable
Committee
Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics
X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
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
I accept the
terms and conditions of use
(opens in new window)
export PDF file
back to list
new search