• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.272-274
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• 2002

The anterior brain vesicle of ascidian larvae contains two distinct pigment cells. Ultrastructure of these pigment cells has been shown that the anterior pigment cell is an otolith for perception of gravity and the posterior pigment cell is an ocellus for light reception. The larva has remarkably simple central nervous system (CNS) composed of about 330 cells. We focused to study neural networks of visual systems. In the present paper, we report the whole structure of the photoreceptors of the ascidian larva visualized by an antibody against arrestin. Visual arrestin is the key protein for the termination of phototransduction and one of the abundant proteins in photoreceptors. Recently, we cloned an arrestin homologue gene, Ci-arr and the expression of Ci-arr was found to be restricted to the photoreceptors in the ocellus. To study the whole structure of the photoreceptors in the larva, we prepared an antibody against Ci-Arr. It is found that anti Ci-Arr antibody specifically stains the photoreceptors, including the cell bodies, the axons, and the nerve terminals. The photoreceptor cell bodies lies in row outside the pigment cup which penetrate the pigment cell and is continuous with the outer segments of the photoreceptor cell, inside the concavity of the pigments. The axons form bundle into a single tract. The tract extends toward the midline, where the nerve terminals diverge and seem to form synapses

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.291-299
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• 2009

We report on a quantitative analysis of cone and rod photoreceptors in hamster retina. Cone and rod photoreceptors were counted in retinal whole mounts using differential interference contrast (DIC) optics microscopy after staining of cone photoreceptors were stained with peroxidase-labeled peanut lectin. Middle-to-long-wave-sensitive-(M/L-), and shortwave-sensitive-(S-) cone opsins were visualized by observed using confocal microscope after immunocytochemical procedure. The average cone density was 9,307 $cells/mm^2$, giving a total of cones of 293,060 cone cells per retina. The peak density of cone cells (12,857 $cells/mm^2$) was found 0.3 mm from the optic disk (OD) of the nasal retina. The average rod density was 300,082 $cells/mm^2$, giving a total number of rods of 9,448,150 cells. The peak density of rod cells was found 0.3 mm from the OD of the dorsal retina. Of all photoreceptors studied, the total percentage of rods and cones were 96.99% and cones 3.01%, respectively. The mean ratio of rod and cone was 32.24 : 1. The cone photoreceptors of hamster contained both M/L- and S-cone opsins. The present results suggest that the hamster retina is strongly rod-dominated with some photopic property of vision.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.10-25
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• 1977

The photobiological receptors of phototactic, phototropic, and photomorphogenic responses of various organisms have been described in terms of spectroscopic, photophysical and photochemical properties which may be relevant in elucidating the energy transduct ion mechanism(s) in photobiology. The photoreceptors discussed include carotenoids, flavins, stentorin and phytochrome. Although the molecular modes of their photobiological action still remain largely unexplained, it is possible to suggest several primary molecul ar processes of the photoreceptors in eliciting responses of various organisms to light.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.5-8
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• 2002

Photoperiodism is an important adaptive phenomenon in various physiological parameters including reproduction to cope with seasonal changes. Involvement of extraretinal photoreceptors in the photoperiodism in non-mammalian vertebrates has been well established. In addition, circadian clock system is known to be involved in the photoperiodic time measurement. The pathway consists of light-input system, time measurement system (circadian clock), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) production in the hypothalamus, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) production in the pituitary, and final gonadal development. Recently, several laboratories reported photopigments newly cloned in the pineal, eyes and deep brain in addition to already known visual pigments in the retina. These are pinopsin, parapinopsin, VA-opsin, melanopsin, etc. All these photopigments belong to the opsin family having retinal as the chromophore. However, the function of these photopigments remains unknown. I reviewed the studies on the location of the photopigments by immunocytochemistry. I also discussed the results on the action spectra for induction of gonadal development in relation with the location of the photoreceptors. Various physiologically active substances distribute in the vertebrate brain. Such substances are GnRH, GnIH, neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal peptide, c-Fos, galanin, neurosteroids, etc. I summarized the immunhistochemical studies on the distribution and the photoperiodic changes of these substances and discussed the route from the deep brain photoreceptor to GnRH cells.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.13-16
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• 2002

A comparison of the functional components underlying photoperiodism and circadian rhythmicity in the same species is an interesting issue in the context of unravelling clock mechanisms. In the present study, covering or surgical removal of the compound eyes was performed to localize photoreceptors for photoperiodism to control reproductive diapause and for entrainment of circadian locomotor rhythms in the blow fly Protophormia terraenovae. Intact flies showed a long-day photoperiodic response. When the compound eyes were covered by silver paint, diapause incidence increased under diapause-averting conditions of a long-day photoperiod and constant light, as if flies were kept under constant darkness. Covering of a medial region of the head capsule or solvent painting of the compound eyes gave no significant effects. When the compound eyes were removed, flies did not distinguish the photoperiod, whereas removal of antennal lobes or ocelli did not affect the photoperiodism. Intact flies showed a freerunning rhythm under constant darkness. The rhythm entrained to light-dark (LD) cycles with light of high and low intensity. When the compound eyes and ocelli were surgically removed, the rhythm entrained to LD cycles with light of high intensity but freeran under LD cycles with light of low intensity. The results suggest the retinal pathways are involved in photoperiodism and that flies use both retinal and extraretinal pathways for rhythm entrainment. Under dim light-LD cycles, the retinal pathways mainly mediate rhythm entrainment. Retinal photoreceptors seem to be used both for photoperiodism and entrainment of the rhythm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Potoscience Conference
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• spring
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• pp.15-15
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• 2001

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.79-86
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• 2000

Phytochromes are red and far-red light absorbing photoreceptors for photomorphogenesis in plants. The red/far wavelength reversible biliproteins are made up of two structural domains. The light-perceiving function of the photoreceptor resides in the N-terminal domain, whereas the signal transducing regulatory function is located within the C-terminal domain. The characteristic role of the phytochromes as phtosensory molecular switches is derived from the phototransformation between two distinct spectral forms, the red light absorbing Pr and the far-red light absorbing Pfr forms. The photoinduced Pr Pfr phototransformation accompanies subtle conformational changes throughout the phytochrome molecule. The conformational signals are subsequently transmitted to the C-terminal domain through various inter-domain crosstalks and induce the interaction of the activated C-terminal domain with phytochrome interacting factors. Thus the inter-domain crosstalks play critical roles in the photoactivation of the phytochromes. Posttranslational modifications, such as the phosphorylation of Ser-598, are also involved in this process through conformational changes and by modulating inter-domain signaling.

• Journal of the Korean Graphic Arts Communication Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.71-83
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• 1997

In recent years, various kinds of organic photoreceptors have been used for copy machines based on electrophotography. Most of them are constructed into layered devices in which a photogeneration layer is separated from a charge transport layer. They are usually used with application of negative charges. Organic pigment have received considerable attention with phthalocyanine, squaraine, and azo compounds being used to construct zerograpgic photoreceptors with enhanced long wavelength sensitivity, residual potential and zerograpgic gain of squaraine photoconductor were measured from the photoinduced discharge curve. Most of synthesized squaraine derivative couldn`t use for CGM(charge generation material), but it knew that a part of one was able to use it within the possibility. A few appliance is used it know about dependence on CTM(charge transport material) of squaraine derivative. It could know that experiment`s result is 2.5-bis(4-N-N`-diethylaminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole(OXD) is the bestproduct.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.509-516
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• 2020

To perceive fluctuations in light quality, quantity, and timing, higher plants have evolved diverse photoreceptors including UVR8 (a UV-B photoreceptor), cryptochromes, phototropins, and phytochromes (Phys). In contrast to plants, prokaryotic oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria, rely mostly on bilin-based photoreceptors, namely, cyanobacterial phytochromes (Cphs) and cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs), which exhibit structural and functional differences compared with plant Phys. CBCRs comprise varying numbers of light sensing domains with diverse color-tuning mechanisms and signal transmission pathways, allowing cyanobacteria to respond to UV-A, visible, and far-red lights. Recent genomic surveys of filamentous cyanobacteria revealed novel CBCRs with broader chromophore-binding specificity and photocycle protochromicity. Furthermore, a novel Cph lineage has been identified that absorbs blue-violet/yellow-orange light. In this minireview, we briefly discuss the diversity in color sensing and signal transmission mechanisms of Cphs and CBCRs, along with their potential utility in the field of optogenetics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Potoscience Conference
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• spring
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• pp.73-76
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• 2003