abstract:Melanopsin is a photopigment found in specialized photosensitive ganglion cells of the retina that are involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms, pupillary light reflex, and other non-visual responses to light. In structure, melanopsin is an opsin, a retinylidene protein variety of G-protein-coupled receptor.
The researchers showed that light was activating in the mice a protein, melanopsin, which also has a role in regulating the body clock, and is present in people.