Photosensitivity to different light intensities in blind and sighted rodents

The Journal of Experimental Biology
Abed Elsalam ZubidatAbraham Haim

Abstract

Photoperiod is an important cue regulating biological rhythms in mammals, including 'blind' subterranean and sighted fossorial rodent species. These species may respond differentially to changes in light quality according to their retinal complexity. The effects of increasing light intensity on daily rhythms of urine excretion and urinary output of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels were compared in 'blind' mole rats Spalax ehrenbergi and sighted social voles, Microtus socialis. Our results show that the threshold irradiance required to entrain rhythms of voles is three magnitudes greater than that for mole rats. The results suggest that mole rats have an operational photoreceptive pathway with a lower threshold irradiance than voles. Such a low threshold reflects the remarkable capability of this 'blind' species to utilize light signals even under challenging light conditions.

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Citations

Sep 22, 2010·Chronobiology International·Maria K OosthuizenHoward M Cooper
Dec 25, 2010·Chronobiology International·Itai KloogAbraham Haim
Sep 9, 2011·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Abed E ZubidatAbraham Haim
Nov 30, 2010·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Abed E ZubidatAbraham Haim

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