Work

Enlightening the brain: Linking deep brain photoreception with behavior and physiology

Year: 2013

Type: review

Abstract: Vertebrates respond to light with more than just their eyes. In this article, we speculate on the intriguing possibility that a link remains between non-visual opsins and neurohormonal systems that control neuronal circuit formation and activity in mammals. Historically, the retina and pineal gland were considered the only significant light-sensing tissues in vertebrates. However over the last century, evidence has accumulated arguing that extra-ocular tissues in vertebrates influence behavior through non-image-forming photoreception. One such class of extra-ocular light detectors are the long mysterious deep brain photoreceptors. Here, we review recent findings on the cellular identity and the function of deep brain photoreceptors controlling behavior and physiology in zebrafish, and discuss their implications.

Source: BioEssays

DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300034

Authors: António M. Fernandes, Kandice Fero, Wolfgang Driever, Harold A. Burgess

Institutions: University of Freiburg, National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Language: English

Topic: Circadian rhythm and melatonin

Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Award: G9000038727