6533b85bfe1ef96bd12bb410

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Unique clockwork in photoreceptor of rat

subject

description

In mammals, the retina contains a clock system that oscillates independently of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and allows the retina to anticipate and to adapt to the sustained daily changes in ambient illumination. Using a combination of laser capture micro-dissection and quantitative PCR in the present study, the clockwork of mammalian photoreceptors has been recorded. The transcript amounts of the core clock genes Clock, Bmal1, Period1 (Per1), Per3, Cryptochrome2, and Casein kinase Ie in photoreceptors of rat retina have been found to undergo daily changes. Clock and Bmal1 peak with Per1 and Per3 around dark onset, whereas Casein kinase Ie and Cryptochrome2 peak at night. As shown for Clock, Per1, and Casein kinase Ie, the oscillation of transcript amounts results in daily changes of the protein products. The in-phase oscillation of Clock/Bmal1 with Pers and the rhythmic expression of Casein kinase Ie do not occur in molecular clocks of other tissues including the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Therefore, the findings presented suggest that the photoreceptor clock is unique not only in its position outside the clock hierarchy mastered by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, but also with regard to the intrinsic rhythmic properties of its molecular components.