Invited Session II: Retinal mechanisms mediating vision: Mitochondria in cone photo-receptors act as microlenses to enhance photon delivery and confer directional sensitivity to light
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Mitochondria are cellular organelles chiefly intended for energy production. Mammalian photoceptors aggregate numerous mitochondria in the ellipsoid region immediately adjacent to their light-sensitive outer segments to support the high metabolic demands of phototransduction. However, these complex, lipid-rich organelles are also poised to affect the passage of light into the outer segment, an essential step in the transduction of physical energy into cellular signals. Here we show, via live-imaging and computational modeling, that despite this risk of light scattering or absorption, such tightly packed mitochondria concentrate light for entry into the outer segment. Intriguingly, this “microlens”-like feature of cone mitochondria delivers light with an angular dependence akin to the Stiles-Crawford effect (SCE), providing a simple explanation for this essential visual phenomenon that improves resolution. Given the pivotal role that photoreceptor mitochondria play in multiple retinal degenerative diseases, this new insight into their optical properties provides critical information for the accurate interpretation of non-invasive ophthalmic imaging results and lends support for using SCE as an early diagnostic tool.
Source: Journal of Vision
DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.3.45
Author: Wei Li
Institutions: National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,850
OpenAlex ID: W4210764243