Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Cryptochromes and inner retinal non-visual irradiance detection.

Russell N Van Gelder1, Aziz Sancar

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University Medical School, CB# 8096, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Novartis Foundation Symposium
|January 10, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Mammalian circadian clocks use light to stay synchronized with the 24-hour day. Cryptochromes, not rods and cones, are crucial for this light-based resetting of the circadian rhythm.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

<i>In vivo</i> characterization of blue-light-induced peripheral arterial photorelaxation using functional OCT.

Biomedical optics express·2026
Same author

A novel <i>CAPN5</i> missense variant associated with autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy.

Ophthalmic genetics·2026
Same author

Large Language Model Authorship in Ophthalmic Publications.

Ophthalmology·2026
Same author

Bilateral Occlusive Retinal Vasculitis After Faricimab Rechallenge.

JAMA ophthalmology·2026
Same author

A new perspective on ATR's role in translesion synthesis.

Genes & development·2026
Same author

Roles of the nonvisual opsins in the mammalian retina.

Handbook of clinical neurology·2026

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Vision Science

Background:

  • Circadian rhythms regulate daily physiological processes.
  • Mammalian circadian clocks require light for synchronization (entrainment).
  • Light entrainment in mammals relies on the eyes, not classical photoreceptors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the photopigments responsible for light entrainment of the mammalian circadian clock.
  • To investigate the role of cryptochromes in non-visual light detection.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated photic signaling to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in mice.
  • Utilized vitamin A depletion and cryptochrome mutant mouse models.
  • Assessed pupillary light responses.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Classical photoreceptors (rods and cones) are not essential for photic entrainment.
  • Inner retinal ganglion cells are directly photoresponsive.
  • Loss of cryptochrome function significantly reduces photic signaling to the SCN and pupillary light responses.
  • Vitamin A depletion did not abolish retinohypothalamic signaling.

Conclusions:

  • Cryptochromes play a critical role in mammalian non-visual light detection and circadian entrainment.
  • Inner retinal phototransduction is mediated by specific photopigments, potentially including cryptochromes.
  • These findings advance understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian light responses.