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Melanopsin: The Tale of the Tail

Russell N Van Gelder1, Ethan D Buhr2

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.

Neuron
|June 3, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Two mechanisms oppositely regulate melanopsin, a nonvisual photoreceptor. These involve C-terminal phosphorylation and the entire C terminus, impacting its kinetics and sensitivity.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Photobiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Melanopsin is a nonvisual photoreceptor crucial for circadian rhythms and light adaptation.
  • Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of melanopsin is key to deciphering its role in visual and non-visual functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the distinct mechanisms by which the C terminus of melanopsin influences its function.
  • To investigate how specific modifications, like phosphorylation, affect melanopsin's kinetics and light sensitivity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized molecular biology techniques to study melanopsin.
  • Investigated the effects of C-terminal phosphorylation on melanopsin function.
  • Analyzed the impact of the entire C terminus on photoreceptor kinetics and sensitivity.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that phosphorylation of the C-terminal intracellular region oppositely affects melanopsin kinetics.
  • Showed that a mechanism involving the whole C terminus also oppositely shapes melanopsin sensitivity.
  • Identified two distinct regulatory pathways originating from the melanopsin C terminus.

Conclusions:

  • The C terminus of melanopsin is a critical regulatory domain.
  • Two separate mechanisms, phosphorylation and whole C-terminus involvement, provide opposing control over melanopsin's functional properties.
  • These findings offer new insights into the complex regulation of nonvisual photoreception.
Keywords:
Melanopsinintrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cellphosphorylationretina

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