Molecular bases of the differences in the physiology and cell biology between rods and cones

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23227002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Animal physiology/Animal behavior
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAMURA Satoru 大阪大学, 生命機能研究科, 招へい教授 (80138122)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): WADA Akimori 神戸薬科大学, 薬学部, 教授 (80158683) ; TACHIBANAKI Shuji 大阪大学, 大学院生命機能研究科, 准教授 (70324746) ; WADA Yasutaka 大阪大学, 大学院生命機能研究科, 助教 (90376559)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 桿体 / 錐体 / 光感度 / 時間分解能 / 暗所視 / 明所視 / 光－電位変換機構 / 細胞内情報伝達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are two types of photoreceptors to detect light in our retina, a rod with high light-sensitivity to function in the dark and a cone with low sensitivity to function in the light. Time resolution of detecting light, an ability to detect on-and-off of a light, is lower in rods and higher in cones, and it is the reason why we can see an object moving quickly in the light where cones are operating but not in the dark where rods are operating. In the present study, we quantitatively compared each of the reactions in the phototransduction cascade biochemically between purified carp rods and cones, and found the molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in the light-sensitivity and time resolution between rods and cones. In addition, we examined functions of molecules that we had shown to be expressed specifically in cones.

Free Research Field

分子生理学