| a broad role for melanopsin in nonvisual photoreception. | the rod and cone photoreceptors that mediate visual phototransduction in mammals are not required for light-induced circadian entrainment, negative masking of locomotor activity, suppression of pineal melatonin, or the pupillary light reflex. the photopigment melanopsin has recently been identified in intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (rgcs) that project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (scn), intergeniculate leaflet (igl), and olivary pretectal nucleus, suggesting that melanopsi ... | 2003 | 12904470 |
| orexin receptor 2 expression in the posterior hypothalamus rescues sleepiness in narcoleptic mice. | narcolepsy is caused by a loss of orexin/hypocretin signaling, resulting in chronic sleepiness, fragmented non-rapid eye movement sleep, and cataplexy. to identify the neuronal circuits underlying narcolepsy, we produced a mouse model in which a loxp-flanked gene cassette disrupts production of the orexin receptor type 2 (ox2r; also known as hcrtr2), but normal ox2r expression can be restored by cre recombinase. mice lacking ox2r signaling had poor maintenance of wakefulness indicative of sleepi ... | 2011 | 21368172 |