{
  "abstract": "Rod photoreceptors face a high ATP demand in darkness, yet the molecular programs supporting dark adaptation remain difficult to dissect in vivo. Here, I re-analyzed publicly available murine retinal single-cell RNA-seq data and reconstructed rod-state dynamics across the light-to-dark transition using pseudotime trajectory inference. I found that dark-adapting rods diverge from a common state into two distinct lineages. Lineage 1 is characterized by elevated MYC-driven anabolic programs alongside increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) response and unfolded protein response (UPR)/ER stress signatures. In contrast, Lineage 2 exhibits an altered RNA-processing state with a markedly higher unspliced RNA fraction. Furthermore, Lineage 2 relatively preserves the STRADA/MO25β (CAB39L) module, which supports LKB1-AMPK energy sensing. Together, these findings support a model in which dark-adapting rods bifurcate into a MYC-driven anabolic state and an RNA-processing-altered state, a balance that may be biased by an LKB1–AMPK-associated mechanism. This integrative computational analysis provides a descriptive framework for rod photoreceptor adaptation, guiding future biochemical and molecular experiments to determine the molecular basis and drivers of this divergence.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ryutaro Ishii",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7919-6354"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1jth6603zdd3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41598-026-74692-0",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "d1jth6603zdd3",
  "issns": [
    "2045-2322"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-74692-0",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Retinal Development and Disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7219708556",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-74692-0_reference.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-04",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1jth6603zdd3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s41598-026-74692-0",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-74692-0"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Retinal Development and Disorders",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Pseudotime trajectory analysis reveals divergent rod photoreceptor states during dark adaptation",
  "title_text": "Pseudotime trajectory analysis reveals divergent rod photoreceptor states during dark adaptation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1jth6603zdd3",
  "venue": "Scientific Reports",
  "versions": []
}