Regulation of Retinal Functions by Light and a Circadian Clock

生活在白天环境中的动物，包括人类，其视网膜的结构和功能每天都会发生变化。这些对正常视力至关重要的变化是由光和来自内部24小时（昼夜节律）时钟的信号的单独和联合作用驱动的。这项研究将有助于阐明导致这些变化的未知生化机制。研究鲎的视觉系统，是因为鲎的视觉系统组织相对简单，其眼睛和光感受器发生的日常变化稳健、多样、特征好、易于控制。这些研究集中在limus光感受器中的一种独特蛋白质上，这是一种非常规的III类肌球蛋白，它可以被昼夜节律信号和光修饰。将应用分子生物学、生物化学和细胞生物学的工具来测试myosinIII在时钟驱动的光感受器结构和功能变化中的作用。通过进一步了解光感受器结构和功能日常变化的生化过程，研究结果将有助于理解视觉；通过阐明光感受器的一种不寻常结构成分的功能，研究细胞生物学；通过进一步了解广泛分布的一类鲜为人知的非常规肌球蛋白，研究肌球蛋白生物化学。这项研究还将通过为博士后、本科生和少数民族高中生提供培训，直接为下一代科学家的发展做出贡献。此外，研究成果定期通过公开讲座、讨论和文章与社区的非专业成人成员分享，其中许多人是惠特尼实验室K-12外展项目的讲证员，该项目每年影响2000多名当地学生。因此，除了产生新的知识外，这项研究还将促进当地社区的科学素养和当地年轻学生对科学的兴趣。

The retinas of animals, including man, that live in diurnal environments undergo daily changes in structure and function. These changes, which are critical for normal vision, are driven by the separate and combined effects of light and signals from internal, 24 hour (circadian) clocks. This research will help elucidate the unknown biochemical mechanisms responsible for these changes. The visual system of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus is studied because the organization of the Limulus visual system is relatively simple, and the daily changes that occur in its eyes and photoreceptors are robust, diverse, well characterized, and easily controlled. The studies focus on a unique protein in Limulus photoreceptors, an unconventional class III myosin that is modified by both circadian signals and light. The tools of molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology will be applied to test myosinIII's role in clock-driven structural and functional changes in photoreceptors. The results will contribute to an understanding of vision by furthering knowledge of biochemical processes underlying daily changes in photoreceptor structure and function, of cell biology by clarifying the function of an unusual structural component of photoreceptors, and of myosin biochemistry by furthering understanding of a wide-spread class of unconventional myosins about which little is known. This research will also contribute directly to the development of the next generation of scientists by providing training to postdoctoral fellows, undergraduates, and minority high school students. Furthermore, research findings are regularly shared through public lectures, discussions and articles with lay adult members of the community, many of whom are docents in the Whitney Lab's K-12 outreach programs that impact over 2000 local students each year. Therefore, in addition to generating new knowledge, this research will promote science literacy in the local community and an interest in science among young local students.