What are the mechanisms of photoreceptor adaptation?

This article evaluates each of the reactions known to be involved in visual transduction as a potential site for the regulation of light adaptation. Extensive evidence suggests that calcium acts as a feedback messenger at several different points and recent work suggests a role for cGMP in regulating the primary excitatory pathway. A conclusion is that adaptation is likely to be regulated by multiple and redundant mechanisms. The goal of future experimentation will be to determine the relative importance of each of these.

Duke Scholars

Author Vadim Y Arshavsky Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery