Matynia A, Recio BS, Myers Z, Parikh S, Goit RK, Brecha NC, Pérez de Sevilla Müller L (2024) Preservation of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in late adult mice: Implications as a potential biomarker for early onset ocular degenerative diseases. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 65(1):28. doi: 10.1167/iovs.65.1.28 PMID: 38224335

Objective: To assess the preservation of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in late adult mice and evaluate their potential as biomarkers for early onset ocular degenerative diseases.

Summary: This study investigates the stability of ipRGC morphology and function in mice aged 6 to 12 months, revealing that ipRGCs maintain their dendritic complexity and associated behavioral functions, such as pupillary light reflex and contrast sensitivity, during this period. These findings suggest that the consistent preservation of ipRGCs in late adulthood may serve as a valuable biomarker for early detection of ocular degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes.

Usage: Whole mount retinas were incubated with Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N39) at 1:1000 for 7 days at 4°C.

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Brock O, Gelegen CE, Sully P, Salgarella I, Jager P, Menage L, Mehta I, Jęczmień-Łazur J, Djama D, Strother L, Coculla A, Vernon A, Brickley S, Holland P, Cooke S, Delogu A (2022) A role for thalamic projection GABAergic neurons in circadian responses to light. J Neurosci doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0112-21.2022 PMID: 36280260

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal (Cat. #AB-N38), Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Sasaki N, Gusain P, Hayano M, Sugaya T, Tonegawa N, Hatanaka Y, Tamura R, Okuyama K, Osada H, Ban N, Mitsukura Y, Lang RA, Mimura M, Tsubota K (2021) Violet light modulates the central nervous system to regulate memory and mood. bioRxiv 2021.11.02.466604. doi: 10.1101/2021.11.02.466604

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Seitter H, Sothilingam V, Benkner B, Garrido MG, Kling A, Pirone A, Seeliger M, Münch TA (2020) Voltage-gated calcium channel subunit α2δ-3 shapes light responses of mouse retinal ganglion cells mainly in low and moderate light levels. bioRxiv 2020.02.10.941807. doi: 10.1101/2020.02.10.941807

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Verweij J, Chaney SY, Bredl D, Vemaraju S, König GM, Kostenis E, Lang RA, Copenhagen DR (2019) Light responses of melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells in the foetal mammalian retina. bioRxiv 675702. doi: 10.1101/675702

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Dhande OS, Seabrook TA, Phan AH, Salaly LD, Ishiko N, Nguyen PL, Wang JT, Evans SM, Huberman AD (2018) Assembly of functionally antagonistic visual circuits for controlling pupil dynamics. bioRxiv 500868. doi: 10.1101/500868

Objective: Investigate the mechanisms controlling the specification and establishment of parallel sensory pathways.

Summary: Identification of a novel genetic program that marks and is required for the development of non-image-forming parallel visual pathways.

Usage: Immunohistochemistry (1:1000)

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Grillo SL, Stella SL, Jr. (2018) Melanopsin retinal ganglion cells are not labeled in Thy-1YFP-16 transgenic mice. Neuroreport 29:118-122. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000918 PMID: 29251688

Objective: To determine whether mRGCs are labeled with YFP in Thy-1 YFP-16 transgenic mice. The transgenic Thy-1 YFP mouse line 16 (Thy-1 YFP-16) expresses yellow-fluorescent protein (YFP) in projection neurons, including RGCs.

Summary: The majority of mRGC somas and axons are not labeled with YFP in the transgenic Thy-1 YFP-16 mouse line; therefore, this mouse model may not suitable for research involving mRGC visual pathways.

Usage: Affinity purified rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against melanopsin (1:500) was used to label mRGCs (Retinal ganglion cells expressing melanopsin). Immunolabeled Thy-1 YFP-16 mouse retina with anti-melanopsin and found that majority (∼89%) of mRGCs are not YFP-positive despite numerous other YFP-positive RGCs in the retina.

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Delwig A, Chaney S, Bertke A, Verweij J, Quirce S, Larsen D, Yang C, Buhr E, VAN Gelder R, Gallar J, Margolis T, Copenhagen D (2018) Melanopsin expression in the cornea. Vis Neurosci 35:E004. doi: 10.1017/S0952523817000359 PMID: 29905117

Objective: To determine melanopsin expression in cornea.

Summary: Found no light-evoked activation of melanopsin-expressing fibers in cornea or in cell bodies in the TG; melanopsin protein might serve other sensory functions in the cornea. One justification for this idea is that melanopsin expressed in Drosophila photoreceptors can serve as a temperature sensor.

Usage: For the primary staining, we used Anti-Melanopsin at 1:5000 for 3 days.

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

Mao C, Agca C, Mocko-Strand J, Wang J, Ullrich-Lüter E, Pan P, Wang S, Arnone M, Frishman L, Klein W (2016) Substituting mouse transcription factor Pou4f2 with a sea urchin orthologue restores retinal ganglion cell development. Proc Biol Sci 283:20152978. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2978 PMID: 26962139

Summary: Pou4f2 is Pou domain transcription factor that is essential for the development of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the vertebrate retina. The sea urchin genome contains SpPou4f1/2, a distant orthologue of Pou4f2, but they have no obvious eyes and their photoreceptors are located around their tube feet disc. Scientists replaced genomic Pou4f2 with an SpPou4f1/2 cDNA to see if SpPou4f1/2 could support RGC development in mice. Mice expressing SpPou4f1/2 developed retinas that looked like wild-type mice. Immunolabeling of retinas with a 1:1000 dilution of Anti-Melanopsin (Cat. #AB-N39) showed the presence of many well-bundled axons emanating from SpPou4f1/2-expressing RGCs. Electroretinogram recordings from these mice indicate that their RGCs are functionally active. These results suggest that there is a high degree of functional conservation between the two genes despite more than 540 million years of divergence from the common ancestor of mice and sea urchins.

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)

El-Danaf R, Huberman A (2015) Characteristic patterns of dendritic remodeling in early-stage glaucoma: evidence from genetically identified retinal ganglion cell types. J Neurosci 35:2329-2343. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1419-14.2015 PMID: 25673829

Summary: The loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) is the second-most common cause of blindness worldwide. Using several mouse transgenic cell lines, the authors investigated the changes that occur on the establishment of elevated ocular pressure. Anti-melanopsin (Cat. #AB-N39) at 1:1000 was used to illuminate the morphology of the M1 intrinsically photosensitive RGC.

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39)