CIRCADIAN AND EFFERENT MODULATION OF VISUAL SENSITIVITY

描述（来自作者摘要）：昼夜节律和传出调制 视觉灵敏度是这个项目的主要焦点。 生物钟 在鲎脑和日本鹌鹑眼调节视网膜结构， 在这两种动物中的功能，以及眼睛和/或大脑中的时钟调节 人类的视觉敏感度。 来自大脑的非昼夜节律传出输入 进一步调节鹌鹑视网膜，血糖的变化进一步 影响人视觉灵敏度。 我们的长期目标是了解 这些调节因素如何使视觉适应基本任务。 这个项目 有三个相互关联的研究方向，并有具体的研究目标： 1)视紫红质稳定化对光感受器噪声的昼夜调节; 2)多巴胺和褪黑激素对视网膜敏感性的昼夜调节; 3） 昼夜节律和代谢调节人类视觉。 PI建议 通过分析视紫红质来研究光感受器噪声的昼夜调节 稳定在鲎的一系列技术，包括电压钳， 爪蟾卵母细胞和果蝇定点突变基因表达 眼睛 PI将通过以下方式研究视网膜敏感度的昼夜节律调节 日本鹌鹑体内的多巴胺和褪黑激素被认为是 原位杂交、核连续测定、RNA酶保护测定和 其他细胞和分子生物学技术。 我们将研究 和代谢调节的人的视力在各种年龄和糖尿病 使用心理物理方法和视觉皮质的功能磁共振成像来评估条件。 的 该项目的主要宗旨是对人类视觉的全面研究 两个合适的动物模型将产生新的见解， 机制调节视觉敏感度。 这些研究可能会揭示一个 光感受器噪声、昼夜节律和 某些形式的视网膜退行性疾病。

DESCRIPTION (from the author's abstract): Circadian and efferent modulation of visual sensitivity is the main focus of this project. Circadian clocks in the Limulus brain and Japanese quail eye modulate retinal structure and function in both animals, and clock(s) in the eye and/or brain modulate visual sensitivity in humans. Non circadian efferent input from the brain further modulates the quail retina, and changes in blood glucose further influence human visual sensitivity. Our long range goal is to understand how these modulatory factors adapt vision for essential tasks. This project has three interrelated lines of research with Specific Aims to investigate: 1) circadian modulation of photoreceptor noise by rhodopsin stabilization; 2) circadian modulation of retinal sensitivity by dopamine and melatonin; 3) circadian and metabolic modulation of human vision. The PI proposes to study the circadian modulation of photoreceptor noise by analyzing rhodopsin stabilization in Limulus with a range of techniques including voltage clamp, site-specific mutagenesis, gene expression in Xenopus oocytes and Drosophila eyes. The PI will study the circadian modulation of retinal sensitivity by the putative transmitters dopamine and melatonin in Japanese quail using in situ hybridization , nuclear run-on assays, Rnase protection assays and other cell and molecular biological techniques. We will study the circadian and metabolic modulation of vision in humans of various ages and diabetic conditions using psycho physical methods and FMRI of the visual cortex. The primary tenet of this project is that comprehensive studies of human vision and two suitable animal models will yield new insights on how circadian mechanisms modulate visual sensitivity. These studies may shed light on a possible relationship between photoreceptor noise, circadian rhythms and some forms of degenerative retinal disease.