The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Phototransduction by Retinal Ganglion Cells That Set the Circadian Clock
Abstract
Light synchronizes mammalian circadian rhythms with environmental time by modulating retinal input to the circadian pacemaker-the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Such photic entrainment requires neither rods nor cones, the only known retinal photoreceptors. Here, we show that retinal ganglion cells innervating the SCN are intrinsically photosensitive. Unlike other ganglion cells, they depolarized in response to light even when all synaptic input from rods and cones was blocked. The sensitivity, spectral tuning, and slow kinetics of this light response matched those of the photic entrainment mechanism, suggesting that these ganglion cells may be the primary photoreceptors for this system.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Photoreceptor cells containing melanopsin play a role in the phase-shifting effects of short-wavelength light.”
In the citing paper
“NIF light effects at shorter wavelength via novel photoreceptors containing the photopigment melanopsin appear to strongly impact the human circadian timing system [11,12].”
From Dawn simulation light impacts on different cognitive domains under sleep restriction (2015) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“This third class of photoreceptors, called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), are engaged in several non-image-forming functions, including circadian phototransduction34.”
From Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
Citations
Cites
Hattar, S., Liao, H.-W., Takao, M., Berson, D. M., & Yau, K.-W. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1069609 · Cited by 2,734
Self-citationA Novel Human Opsin in the Inner Retina
Provencio, I., Rodriguez, I. R., Jiang, G., Hayes, W. P., Moreira, E. F., & Rollag, M. D. (2000) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.20-02-00600.2000 · Cited by 1,290
Melanopsin: An opsin in melanophores, brain, and eye
Provencio, I., Jiang, G., De Grip, W. J., Hayes, W. P., & Rollag, M. D. (1998) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.95.1.340 · Cited by 975
Regulation of Mammalian Circadian Behavior by Non-rod, Non-cone, Ocular Photoreceptors
Freedman, M. S., Lucas, R. J., Soni, B. G., von Schantz, M., Muñoz, M., David-Gray, Z. K., & Foster, F. (1999) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.284.5413.502 · Cited by 841
Melanopsin in cells of origin of the retinohypothalamic tract
Gooley, J. J., Lü, J., Chou, T. C., Scammell, T. E., & Saper, C. B. (2001) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn768 · Cited by 586
Takahashi, J. S., DeCoursey, P. J., Bauman, L., & Menaker, M. (1984) · Nature · doi:10.1038/308186a0 · Cited by 528
A schematic eye for the rabbit
Hughes, A. (1972) · Vision Research · doi:10.1016/0042-6989(72)90143-5 · Cited by 392
Twilight Times: Light and the Circadian System
Roenneberg, T., & Foster, F. (1997) · Photochemistry and Photobiology · doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1997.tb03188.x · Cited by 379
The retinohypothalamic tract originates from a distinct subset of retinal ganglion cells
Moore, R. Y., Speh, J. C., & Card, J. P. (1995) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903520304 · Cited by 358
Hannibal, J., Hindersson, P., Knudsen, S. M., Georg, B., & Fahrenkrug, J. (2002) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.22-01-j0002.2002 · Cited by 339
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- von Schantz M., Provencio I., Foster R. G., Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 41, 1605 (2000).
- Nelson D. E., Takahashi J. S., Am. J. Physiol. 277, R1351 (1999).
- ___, J. Biol. Rhythms 15, 31 (2000).
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 1,001–1,017 of 1,017
Campbell, I., Sharifpour, R., & Vandewalle, G. (2023) · Clocks & Sleep · doi:10.3390/clockssleep5010012 · Cited by 43
Processing of daily and seasonal light information in the mammalian circadian clock.
Meijer, J. H., Michel, S., & Vansteensel, M. J. (2007) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.01.018 · Cited by 40
Light therapy: is it safe for the eyes?
Brouwer, A., Nguyen, H. ‐., Snoek, F. J., van Raalte, D. H., Beekman, A. T. F., Moll, A. C., & Bremmer, M. A. (2017) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/acps.12785 · Cited by 40
When should I eat: A circadian view on food intake and metabolic regulation
Chamorro, R., Jouffe, C., Oster, H., Uhlenhaut, N. H., & Meyhöfer, S. M. (2023) · Acta Physiologica · doi:10.1111/apha.13936 · Cited by 40
Electrical induction of vision
Tehovnik, E. J., & Slocum, W. M. (2013) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.03.012 · Cited by 33
Do, A., Li, V. W., Huang, S., Michalak, E. E., Tam, E. M., Chakrabarty, T., Yatham, L. N., & Lam, R. W. (2022) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/07067437221097903 · Cited by 37
“Light is the strongest synchronizer of circadian rhythms, with the circadian effects of light acting through the eyes via the retinohypothalamic tract, a direct neural pathway from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is recognized as the central biological clock in the brain.(11) More recently, it was sho…”
BackgroundImpact of age on human non-visual responses to light
REVELL, V. L., & SKENE, D. J. (2010) · Sleep and Biological Rhythms · doi:10.1111/j.1479-8425.2009.00418.x · Cited by 31
Bonmati-Carrion, M. A., Baño-Otalora, B., Madrid, J. A., & Rol, M. A. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08691-7 · Cited by 26
Direct visual and circadian pathways target neuroendocrine cells in primates
Abizaid, A., Horvath, B., Keefe, D. L., Leranth, C., & Horvath, T. L. (2004) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03737.x · Cited by 22
Martynhak, B. J., Hogben, A. L., Zanos, P., Georgiou, P., Andreatini, R., Kitchen, I., Archer, S. N., von Schantz, M., Bailey, A., & van der Veen, D. R. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep40399 · Cited by 23
Fong, K. N., Ge, X., Ting, K., Wei, M., & Cheung, H. (2023) · American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias® · doi:10.1177/15333175231160682 · Cited by 20
Circadian and epigenetic control of depression-like behaviors
Sato, S., & Sassone-Corsi, P. (2019) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.05.010 · Cited by 10
Anatomy of the Mammalian Circadian System
Gooley, J. J., & Saper, C. B. (2017) · Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-24288-2.00033-7 · Cited by 9
Short wavelength light administered just prior to waking: a pilot study
Grandner, M. A., Kripke, D. F., Elliott, J., & Cole, R. (2013) · Biological Rhythm Research · doi:10.1080/09291016.2011.632578 · Cited by 9
“( 2002 ) found that the response to 500 nm and 480 nm were nearly equivalent.”
BackgroundWang, C., Su, K., Hu, L., Wu, S., Zhan, Y., Yang, C., & Xiang, J. (2024) · Indoor Environments · doi:10.1016/j.indenv.2024.100015 · Cited by 2
Light therapy in medicine: where do we stand?
Oyama, Y., Witowski, A., Adamzik, M., Bartels, K., & de la Garza Eckle, T. (2026) · Annals of Translational Medicine · doi:10.21037/atm-2026-0041
“These cells express the photopigment melanopsin, which is maximally sensitive to blue light at approximately 480 nm (17,18).”
Granero, N., Mancinetti, F., Mecocci, P., & Boccardi, V. (2026) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2026.103416
Metadata
- Authors
- Berson, D. M., Dunn, F. A., & Takao, M.
- Affiliations
- Brown University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Berson, David M.
- Dunn, Felice A.
- Takao, Motoharu
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2002-02-08
- Volume
- 295
- Issue
- 5557
- Pages
- 1070-1073
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2009077913
- Cited by
- 3,629
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 162 · 2025: 188 · 2024: 194 · 2023: 186 · 2022: 206 · 2021: 221 · 2020: 196 · 2019: 224 · 2018: 193 · 2017: 184 · 2016: 164 · 2015: 159 · 2014: 167 · 2013: 132 · 2012: 135
- FWCI
- 31.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Eye Institute (EY12793, R01EY012793)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Retinal Development and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Keywords
- retinal ganglion cells, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, circadian clock, suprachiasmatic nucleus, light entrainment, non-visual photoreception, rod and cone photoreceptors, spectral tuning
- MeSH terms
- Melanopsin, Animals, Axons, Biological Clocks, Circadian Rhythm, Dendrites, Isoquinolines, Kinetics, Light, Retinal Ganglion Cells, Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Rod Opsins, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Rats, Light Signal Transduction
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
