2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Investigation of the pineal wavelength discrimination in lower vertebrates
| Project/Area Number |
22687005
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Research Field |
Animal physiology/Animal behavior
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Osaka City University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
MITSUMASA KOYANAGI 大阪市立大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30379276)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2010-04-01 – 2014-03-31
|
| Keywords | 生理学 / 光生物学 / 感覚 / 色覚 / ロドプシン |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
In lower vertebrates, pineal and related organs detect the ratio of UV to visible lights, suggesting that wavelengths of environmental light are discriminated by these organs independently of eyes. Recently, we found that parapinopsin is a UV sensitive photopigment that underlies the UV reception for wavelength discrimination in the lamprey pineal. Here, we carried out the parapinopsin-based investigation of the pineal wavelength discrimination in varied lower vertebrates and revealed the diversity and generality of the wavelength discrimination mechanism. Furthermore, by using transgenic technique, we obtained a clue to the physiological roles of the pineal wavelength discrimination. We also found that a homologue of another non-visual photopigment Opn3 has an unique characteristic for functioning as a light sensor in extraocular tissues.
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
[Remarks] 新聞報道等共同通信, 朝日新聞, 読売新聞,日本経済新聞, 産経新聞(2012年1月27日), The New York Times(2012年1月30日)他
-
