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A thyroid hormone receptor that is required for the development of green cone photoreceptors
- Source :
- Nature genetics. 27(1)
- Publication Year :
- 2001
-
Abstract
- Color vision is facilitated by distinct populations of cone photoreceptors in the retina. In rodents, cones expressing different opsin photopigments are sensitive to middle (M, 'green') and short (S, 'blue') wavelengths, and are differentially distributed across the retina. The mechanisms that control which opsin is expressed in a particular cone are poorly understood, but previous in vitro studies implicated thyroid hormone in cone differentiation. Thyroid hormone receptor beta 2 (TR beta 2) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is expressed in the outer nuclear layer of the embryonic retina. Here we delete Thrb (encoding Tr beta 2) in mice, causing the selective loss of M-cones and a concomitant increase in S-opsin immunoreactive cones. Moreover, the gradient of cone distribution is disturbed, with S-cones becoming widespread across the retina. The results indicate that cone photoreceptors throughout the retina have the potential to follow a default S-cone pathway and reveal an essential role for Tr beta 2 in the commitment to an M-cone identity. Our findings raise the possibility that Thrb mutations may be associated with human cone disorders.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Opsin
Thyroid Hormones
genetic structures
Color vision
Radioimmunoassay
Color
Thyrotropin
Cell Count
Biology
Thyroid hormone receptor beta
Mice
Internal medicine
Genetics
medicine
Electroretinography
Animals
Photopigment
RNA, Messenger
Outer nuclear layer
Mice, Knockout
Retina
Thyroid hormone receptor
Receptors, Thyroid Hormone
medicine.diagnostic_test
Rod Opsins
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Immunohistochemistry
eye diseases
Cell biology
Endocrinology
medicine.anatomical_structure
Gene Targeting
Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells
sense organs
Gene Deletion
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10614036
- Volume :
- 27
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature genetics
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....664903aecd3bfa328f393b59c3f56d55