Biophotons Contribute to Retinal Dark Noise.
Author: Li Z12, Dai J3,4
Affiliation:
1Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China.
2Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Sciences, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China.
3Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China. jdai@mail.scuec.edu.cn.
4Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Sciences, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China. jdai@mail.scuec.edu.cn.
Conference/Journal: Neurosci Bull.
Date published: 2016 Apr 8
Other:
Word Count: 160
The discovery of dark noise in retinal photoreceptors resulted in a long-lasting controversy over its origin and the underlying mechanisms. Here, we used a novel ultra-weak biophoton imaging system (UBIS) to detect biophotonic activity (emission) under dark conditions in rat and bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) retinas in vitro. We found a significant temperature-dependent increase in biophotonic activity that was completely blocked either by removing intracellular and extracellular Ca2+ together or inhibiting phosphodiesterase 6. These findings suggest that the photon-like component of discrete dark noise may not be caused by a direct contribution of the thermal activation of rhodopsin, but rather by an indirect thermal induction of biophotonic activity, which then activates the retinal chromophore of rhodopsin. Therefore, this study suggests a possible solution regarding the thermal activation energy barrier for discrete dark noise, which has been debated for almost half a century.
KEYWORDS: Biophoton; Biophoton imaging; Ca2+; Phosphodiesterase 6; Rat and bullfrog retinas; Retinal dark noise
PMID: 27059222 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
BACK
