Tateda Y, Suzuki T, Sato T, Izuhara K, Ise K, Shimada H, Murakami K, Murakami K, Nakamura Y, Ohta N (2025) Immunohistochemical localization of D-β-aspartic acid and periostin in benign parotid gland tumors. Histol Histopathol 25013. doi: 10.14670/HH-25-013 PMID: 41178409
Objective: To investigate the expression and role of D-β-aspartic acid and periostin in the formation of benign parotid tumors.
Summary: Statistically significant differences were found between the expression pattern of D-β-aspartic acid in the stroma and the histological classification of benign parotid gland tumors. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between the expression patterns of D-β-aspartic acid and periostin in the stroma. Our results suggest that D-β-aspartic acid and periostin may be involved in the pathogenesis of benign parotid gland tumors.
Usage: 4-um sections were treated with a polyclonal antibody (diluted 1:800) against D-aspartic acid (AB-T047) and kept at 4°C overnight.
Brown TW, Vilallongue N, Hales SC, Srikanta S, Rochon PL, Rangel Olguin AG, Waxman SB, Tufford A, Van Prooijen J, Krishnaswamy A, Cermakian N, Cayouette M (2025) Retinal glia regulate development of the circadian photoentrainment circuit. Cell Rep 44(11):116464. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116464 PMID: 41150857
Objective: To examine the role of Müller glia in the development of hypothalamus-projecting ipRGCs and their contribution to circadian photoentrainment.
Summary: Disrupting SNARE-mediated release in Müller glia reduced ATP secretion, heightened ipRGC light responses, and impaired photoentrainment without affecting vision or pupil reflexes. The study highlights a glia-dependent mechanism essential for proper maturation of the circadian visual pathway.
Usage: Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N38) was used for immunohistochemistry (IHC) at 1:100 dilution.
Gan JH, Wang MJ, Li CY, Huang Y, Liu ZH, Bai WL, Xu WJ, Sun MH, Kang MT, Morgan I, Wang N, Li SM (2025) The interplay between form deprivation and dopamine signaling in regulating the expression of circadian rhythm-related genes in the retina of mice. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol doi: 10.1007/s00417-025-06950-2 PMID: 41026222
Objective: To investigate short-term and long-term effect of form deprivation, interacted with dopamine, on the expression of circadian rhythm-related genes in the retina of mice.
Summary: Form deprivation disturbed endogenous circadian rhythm signaling pathways in the retina both in the early stage and long term. Exogenous dopamine altered the expression of Opn4 and circadian rhythm-related genes, indicating a complex role of circadian rhythm in myopia development.
Usage: Mice received intraperitoneal injections of either dopamine or PBS.
We’re highlighting one of our antibodies, a rabbit polyclonal against Melanopsin. This antibody is offered as both serum (AB-N38) and affinity purified (AB-N39). Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are cells that express melanopsin. These ipRGCs, with their long processes, are involved in the perception of light and dark and are circadian rhythm determinants. Our Melanopsin antibody recognizes a portion of the N-terminal region of the mouse melanopsin extracellular domain and does not cross-react with melanopsins of other species, so it’s specific to mouse.
Here is how other researchers are using them in recent publications. This Melanopsin antibody may be the antibody your lab needs.
Kim et. al. used (AB-N38) at a 1:2,000 dilution to quantify ipRGCs in the retina and confirm that Per1-deficiency did not affect melanopsin-positive cell abundance.
And finally, Zhu et. al. using affinity purified (AB-N39) at a 1:2000 dilution to identify and quantify ipRGCs in retinal whole-mounts following ischemic injury.
Kim P, Kumar V, Garner N, Jayasingh O, Roman G, Walters S, Vo T, Nguyen Q, Bowles J, Woodruff T, Inder W, Hunt J, Heyde I, Oster H, Rawashdeh O (2025) A systemic clock brake: Period1 stabilizes the circadian network under environmental stress. bioRxiv 2025.06.12.659230. doi: 10.1101/2025.06.12.659230
Objective: To investigate the role of the core circadian clock gene Period1 (Per1) in regulating light-induced circadian realignment and systemic physiological stability across central and peripheral tissues.
Summary: Per1-deficient mice showed accelerated behavioral, hormonal, and metabolic re-entrainment to shifted light-dark cycles, highlighting Per1’s role as a buffer that stabilizes circadian responses. Despite faster adaptation, Per1 deletion compromised SCN network coherence and increased peripheral metabolic phase instability.
Usage: Melanopsin (OPN4) was detected using Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N38) at a 1:2000 dilution to quantify ipRGCs in the retina and confirm that Per1-deficiency did not affect melanopsin-positive cell abundance.
Zhu M, Wu Y, Gao H, Qi F, Zhang X, Ran Y (2025) Differential regulation of mTOR activity in retinal ganglion cells underlies their distinct susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion. Commun Biol 8(1):911. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08314-2 PMID: 40500296
Objective: To explore why intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are more resistant to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury than other RGC subtypes and to examine the role of mTOR signaling in this differential vulnerability.
Summary: ipRGCs exhibited higher mTOR activity and greater resistance to I/R injury compared to other RGCs. Rapamycin had cell-type–specific effects: it protected non-ipRGCs by increasing mTOR activity but suppressed mTOR in ipRGCs unless light was removed, revealing that light conditions critically influence mTOR-mediated neuroprotection.
Usage: Melanopsin (OPN4) was detected using Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N39) at a 1:2000 dilution to identify and quantify ipRGCs in retinal whole-mounts following ischemic injury.
Son S, Beaudoin DL, Hassan AR, Akpo MS, Ichinose T, Garrett AM (2025) A characterization of mouse retinal ganglion cell types labeled with AAV tools. bioRxiv 2025.06.02.657062. doi: 10.1101/2025.06.02.657062
Objective: To characterize the cell-type specificity and functional diversity of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) labeled by AAV vectors carrying synthetic promoters ProA13 and ProA27 in the mouse retina.
Summary: ProA13 and ProA27 AAV vectors selectively labeled molecularly and morphologically distinct subsets of RGCs, including melanopsin-positive ipRGC subtypes. ProA27 labeled a broader diversity of ipRGCs (M1–M4), while ProA13 primarily labeled M1 cells, enabling analysis of their structural, functional, and projection differences.
Usage: Melanopsin (OPN4) was detected using Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N38) at a 1:5000 dilution to identify and classify ipRGCs in AAV-labeled retinas.
McLeod CM, Son S, Haque MN, Garrett AM (2025) Reduced neuronal self-avoidance in mouse starburst amacrine cells with only one Pcdhg isoform. bioRxiv 2025.05.29.656828. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.29.656828 PMID: 40502005
Objective: To determine whether the γC4 isoform of the protocadherin-γ (Pcdhg) gene cluster is sufficient to mediate neuronal self-avoidance in starburst amacrine cells (SACs) in the mouse retina.
Summary: While deletion of γC4 or γC5 alone did not impair SAC self-avoidance, mice expressing only γC4 exhibited significant failures in dendritic self-avoidance that were not fully rescued by transgenic overexpression. These findings suggest γC4 is specialized for neuronal survival but insufficient to support self-avoidance on its own.
Usage: Melanopsin (OPN4) was detected using Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N38) at a 1:2000 dilution to label intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) for analysis of retinal cell spacing and mosaic organization.
Gastfriend BD, Palecek SP, Shusta EV (2025) Differentiation of brain mural cells from human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural crest by activation of notch3 signaling. (eds. Barichello, T.). Blood-Brain Barrier 221:11-35. Humana, New York, NY. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4474-4_2
Objective: To describe a serum-free method to differentiate brain mural cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), using lentiviral overexpression of the Notch3 intracellular domain in a neural crest intermediate.
Summary: Protocols were given on how to perform Flow cytometry, Neural crest differentiation and Lentivirus production .
Semo M, Hughes S, Smyllie NJ, Patton AP, Pothecary CA, Tam SKE, Buckland J, Brown LA (2025) Magnetic fields influence visual responses in mice. bioRxiv 2025.05.12.653455. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.12.653455
Objective: To investigate whether magnetic fields influence mammalian retinal function and to determine the role of cryptochromes in mediating this effect.
Summary: This study demonstrates that magnetic fields modulate neuronal activity in the mouse retina in a light-dependent and cryptochrome-dependent manner. Magnetic fields altered c-Fos expression in melanopsin-positive retinal ganglion cells and influenced retinal circadian rhythms and behavior.
Usage: Melanopsin (OPN4) expression was assessed using Anti-Melanopsin (AB-N38) at a 1:2500 dilution to label ipRGCs during immunohistochemical analysis of retinal responses to light and magnetic fields.
