Divergence of Melanopsin's Intrinsic Properties and Downstream Actions
- 1Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Abstract
Opsins are light-activated receptors. A basic question is how the molecular properties of an opsin shape its effects on the organism. In mammals, melanopsin regulates perception, cognition, physiology, and mood. Because these actions are vital, an international standard has been formulated to express light in terms of melanopsin stimulation. Short wavelengths are absorbed best by melanopsin and should drive its effects most strongly. We report that melanopsin's cellular and behavioral effects show little or even opposite wavelength sensitivity in some regimes. This divergence stems from melanopsin's persistent activity, which generates adaptation. Wavelengths absorbed strongly by melanopsin produce high persistent activity and adaptation, giving net desensitization, whereas wavelengths absorbed weakly can produce sensitization instead. We provide a quantitative model that captures these transformations. This work indicates how the downstream actions of a molecule may diverge starkly from its intrinsic properties.
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BibTeX
@misc{viet2026divergence,
title = {{Divergence of Melanopsin's Intrinsic Properties and Downstream Actions}},
author = {N.-M. Viet and F. S. Caval-Holme and E. S. Milner and A. S. Johnson and W. W. Liu and A. J. Emanuel and M. T. H. Do},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.09.750349},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.09.750349v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Divergence of Melanopsin's Intrinsic Properties and Downstream Actions
AU - N.-M. Viet
AU - F. S. Caval-Holme
AU - E. S. Milner
AU - A. S. Johnson
AU - W. W. Liu
AU - A. J. Emanuel
AU - M. T. H. Do
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/09
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.09.750349
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.09.750349v1
AB - Opsins are light-activated receptors. A basic question is how the molecular properties of an opsin shape its effects on the organism. In mammals, melanopsin regulates perception, cognition, physiology, and mood. Because these actions are vital, an international standard has been formulated to express light in terms of melanopsin stimulation. Short wavelengths are absorbed best by melanopsin and should drive its effects most strongly. We report that melanopsin's cellular and behavioral effects show little or even opposite wavelength sensitivity in some regimes. This divergence stems from melanopsin's persistent activity, which generates adaptation. Wavelengths absorbed strongly by melanopsin produce high persistent activity and adaptation, giving net desensitization, whereas wavelengths absorbed weakly can produce sensitization instead. We provide a quantitative model that captures these transformations. This work indicates how the downstream actions of a molecule may diverge starkly from its intrinsic properties.
ER -