[cAMP as a regulator of the phototransduction cascade]

Until recently, it has generally been believed that cyclic AMP plays an important role in supporting circadian cycles in the vertebrate retina, but does not directly control the photoreceptors' phototransduction cascade. However, the cAMP levels in photoreceptors oscillate during the day/night cycle, and the cAMP turnover in photoreceptors may be light-dependent. Thus it is natural to suggest that the cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation may be a mechanism of tuning phototransduction to lighting conditions. In the present review, we summarize available information on the structure and operation of the retinal pacemaker, role(s) of cAMP in its functioning, and identified intracellular targets that could be controlled by cAMP. We discuss our recent results that show that cAMP changes do regulate the phototransduction cascade. This regulation may substantially extend the range of photoreceptor's adaptation by increasing its sensitivity at night, and reducing the sensitivity in bright light.