Biophotons Contribute to Retinal Dark Noise  

作　　者：Zehua Li Jiapei Dai 

机构地区：[1]Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering,South Central University for Nationalities [2]Department of Neurobiology,College of Life Sciences,South Central University for Nationalities

出　　处：《Neuroscience Bulletin》2016年第3期246-252,共7页神经科学通报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31070961);the Sci-Tech Support Plan of Hubei Province,China (2014BEC086);the Research Team Fund of South Central University for Nationalities,China (XTZ15014)

摘　　要：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 Ca^（2＋）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.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 Ca^（2＋）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.

关 键 词：Biophoton Rat and bullfrog retinas Retinal dark noise Phosphodiesterase 6 Ca2＋ Biophoton imaging 

分 类 号：R338.3[医药卫生—人体生理学]