Opsins outside the eye and the skin: a more complex scenario than originally thought for a classical light sensor

Author(s)

Moraes, Maria Nathalia ^[1] ; de Assis, Leonardo Vinicius Monteiro ^[2] ; Provencio, Ignacio ^{[3, 4]} ; Castrucci, Ana Maria de Lauro ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Physiol & Biophys, Ave Prof Lineu Prestes 1524, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Lubeck, Inst Neurobiol, Lubeck - Germany

^[3] Univ Virginia, Dept Biol, Charlottesville, VA - USA

^[4] Univ Virginia, Dept Ophthalmol, Charlottesville, VA - USA

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biosci, Dept Physiol, Trav 14, 101, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Review article
• Source: Cell and Tissue Research; v. 385, n. 3 JUL 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Since the discovery of melanopsin as a retinal non-visual photopigment, opsins have been described in several organs and cells. This distribution is strikingly different from the classical localization of photopigments in light-exposed tissues such as the eyes and the skin. More than 10 years ago, a new paradigm in the field was created as opsins were shown, to detect not only light, but also thermal energy in Drosophila. In agreement with these findings, thermal detection by opsins was also reported in mammalian cells. Considering the presence of opsins in tissues not reached by light, an intriguing question has emerged: What is the role of a classical light-sensor, and more recently appreciated thermo-sensor, in these tissues? To tackle this question, we address in this review the most recent studies in the field, with emphasis in mammals. We provide the present view about the role of opsins in peripheral tissues, aiming to integrate the current knowledge of the presence and function of opsins in organs that are not directly affected by light. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/26651-9 - Glaucoma as a model of temporal information disruption: impact on the metabolism
• Grantee: Maria Nathália de Carvalho Magalhães Moraes Figueira Borges
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/24615-5 - Breaking a paradigm? Melanopsin, a canonical photo-pigment, acting as sensor to entrain the clock in light unexposed organs, and its putative interaction with TRP channels: a trans-disciplinary study involving physiological and pathological aspects
• Grantee: Ana Maria de Lauro Castrucci
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/14728-0 - Melanopsin as the UVA photoreceptor and its relationship with pigmentation, DNA repair, biological clock and components of the HPA axis: a novel pharmacological target?
• Grantee: Ana Maria de Lauro Castrucci
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants