mammalian neural tissue opsin (Opsin 5) is a deep brain photoreceptor in birds

It has been known for many decades that nonmammalian vertebrates detect light by deep brain photoreceptors that lie outside the retina and pineal organ to regulate seasonal cycle of reproduction. However, the identity of these photoreceptors has so far remained unclear. Here we report that Opsin 5 i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2010-08, Vol.107 (34), p.15264-15268
Main Authors: Nakane, Yusuke, Ikegami, Keisuke, Ono, Hiroko, Yamamoto, Naoyuki, Yoshida, Shosei, Hirunagi, Kanjun, Ebihara, Shizufumi, Kubo, Yoshihiro, Yoshimura, Takashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Aves
Avian Proteins - genetics
Avian Proteins - physiology
Biological Sciences
Birds
Brain
Brain - anatomy & histology
Brain - physiology
Cerebrospinal fluid
Chickens
Coturnix - anatomy & histology
Coturnix - genetics
Coturnix - physiology
Female
Fibers
Immunohistochemistry
In Vitro Techniques
Light effects
Male
Median Eminence - anatomy & histology
Median Eminence - physiology
Membrane currents
Models, Neurological
Molecular Sequence Data
Molecules
mRNA
Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics
Nerve Tissue Proteins - physiology
Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology
Neural Pathways - physiology
Neuroendocrine system
Neurons
Neurosciences
Oocytes
Oocytes - metabolism
Opsins
Opsins - genetics
Opsins - physiology
Ornithology
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - anatomy & histology
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - physiology
Photic Stimulation
Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate - physiology
Photoreceptors
Phototransduction
Physiology
Pineal gland
Pituitary
Quails
Recombinant Proteins - genetics
Recombinant Proteins - metabolism
Reproduction
Retina
Septum of brain
Testis - growth & development
Tissues
Wavelengths
Wildfowl
Xenopus
Xenopus laevis
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Summary:It has been known for many decades that nonmammalian vertebrates detect light by deep brain photoreceptors that lie outside the retina and pineal organ to regulate seasonal cycle of reproduction. However, the identity of these photoreceptors has so far remained unclear. Here we report that Opsin 5 is a deep brain photoreceptive molecule in the quail brain. Expression analysis of members of the opsin superfamily identified as Opsin 5 (OPN5; also known as Gpr136, Neuropsin, PGR12, and TMEM13) mRNA in the paraventricular organ (PVO), an area long believed to be capable of phototransduction. Immunohistochemistry identified Opsin 5 in neurons that contact the cerebrospinal fluid in the PVO, as well as fibers extending to the external zone of the median eminence adjacent to the pars tuberalis of the pituitary gland, which translates photoperiodic information into neuroendocrine responses. Heterologous expression of Opsin 5 in Xenopus oocytes resulted in light-dependent activation of membrane currents, the action spectrum of which showed peak sensitivity (λmax) at ~420 nm. We also found that short-wavelength light, i.e., between UV-B and blue light, induced photoperiodic responses in eye-patched, pinealectomized quail. Thus, Opsin 5 appears to be one of the deep brain photoreceptive molecules that regulates seasonal reproduction in birds.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1006393107