A deep brain photoreceptive molecule in the toad hypothalamus

FEBS Letters

Oishi, Tadashi¹  Yoshikawa, Tomoko¹  Okano, Toshiyuki² 

[1] Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University, Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara 630-8263, Japan;Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan

关键词: Pinopsin;    Hypothalamus;    Photoperiodic response;    Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neuron;    Anterior preoptic nucleus;    Toad;    APON;    anterior preoptic nucleus;    CSF;    cerebrospinal fluid;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(98)00139-2

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

We have isolated a cDNA clone encoding a deep brain photoreceptive molecule from the hypothalamic cDNA library of the toad, Bufo japonicus. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest similarity to that of pinopsin (75–76%) among vertebrate retinal opsins, indicating the expression of toad pinopsin in the deep brain. Antibodies raised against the C-terminal tail of toad pinopsin stained cell bodies and the knob-like structures of the cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in the anterior preoptic nucleus. This region is known to play an important role in breeding behavior, suggesting that toad pinopsin acts as a photosensor for the photoperiodic gonadal response.

【 授权许可】

Unknown