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  • Title: Role of melanopsin in circadian responses to light.
    Author: Ruby NF, Brennan TJ, Xie X, Cao V, Franken P, Heller HC, O'Hara BF.
    Journal: Science; 2002 Dec 13; 298(5601):2211-3. PubMed ID: 12481140.
    Abstract:
    Melanopsin has been proposed as an important photoreceptive molecule for the mammalian circadian system. Its importance in this role was tested in melanopsin knockout mice. These mice entrained to a light/dark cycle, phase-shifted after a light pulse, and increased circadian period when light intensity increased. Induction of the immediate-early gene c-fos was observed after a nighttime light pulse in both wild-type and knockout mice. However, the magnitude of these behavioral responses in knockout mice was 40% lower than in wild-type mice. Although melanopsin is not essential for the circadian clock to receive photic input, it contributes significantly to the magnitude of photic responses.
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