Gianluca Tosini

Circadian rhythms in cultured mammalian retina

Many retinal functions are circadian, but in most instances the location of the clock that drives the rhythm is not known. Cultured neural retinas of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) exhibited circadian rhythms of melatonin synthesis for at least 5 days at 27°C. The rhythms were entrained by light cycles applied in vitro and were free-running in constant darkness. Retinas from hamsters homozygous for the circadian mutation tau, which shortens the free-running period of the circadian activity rhythm by 4 hours, showed a shortened free-running period of melatonin synthesis. The mammalian retina contains a genetically programmed circadian oscillator that regulates its synthesis of melatonin.

The clock in the mouse retina : Melatonin synthesis and photoreceptor degeneration

Melatonin is synthesized rhythmically under control of circadian oscillators by the retinas of non-mammalian vertebrates. Here we report that the retinas of some strains of laboratory mice exhibit robust circadian rhythms of melatonin synthesis which can be entrained by light in vitro. The rd mutation results in progressive loss of the rod and later cone photoreceptors. In mice homozygous for rd retinal melatonin synthesis is rhythmic at postnatal day 28 but not in older animals. Apparently rod photoreceptors are necessary for the expression of the circadian rhythm of melatonin synthesis but not for the synthesis itself. The many genetic and molecular tools available in the mouse can now be applied to analysis of the retinal circadian oscillator.

The tau mutation affects temperature compensation of hamster retinal circadian oscillators.

Neural retinas of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) express circadian rhythms of melatonin synthesis when cultured in constant darkness. Retinas from wild-type hamsters synthesize melatonin with a period close to 24 h, while retinas obtained from hamsters homozygous for the circadian mutation tau, which shortens the free-running period of the circadian activity rhythm by 4 h, synthesize melatonin with a period close to 20 h. The retinal circadian oscillators of both wild-type and tau mutant hamsters are temperature compensated; however, temperature compensation is adversely affected by the mutation.

Circadian Rhythm of Body Temperature in an Ectotherm (Iguana iguana

Ectothermic animals regulate their body temperatures primarily by behavioral adjustment in relation to the thermal characteristics of the environment. Several studies have shown that some vertebrate ectotherms may show a daily pattern of body temperature selection when given a choice of environmental temperature. The pattern of body temperature selection free-runs when the animals are kept in constant darkness, demonstrating the existence of circadian regulation. To test whether there might also be a low amplitude circadian rhythm of body temperature itself, we examined the pattern of body temperature and locomotor activity of the lizard Iguana iguana held in a constant environmental temperature. Both variables were recorded for 3 days in a light:dark cycle and then for 10 days in constant dim light (0.1 lux). Under these conditions the body temperature of the lizard oscillates with a circadian period as does the locomotor behavior. These results demonstrate for the first time that ectothermic animals may display physiologically generated circadian rhythms of body temperature similar to those recorded in endotherms. In some animals the circadian rhythms of body temperature and locomotor activity showed different free-running periods, demonstrating that the body temperature rhythm was not caused by locomotor activity and suggesting internal desyncronization of the two rhythms.

The pineal complex of reptiles: physiological and behavioral roles

The pineal complex of reptiles is a morphologically and functionally connected set of organs that originates as an evagination of the roof of the diencephalon. It is formed by two structures: the pineal organ and the parietal eye. The pineal gland is present in Chelonia, Squamata and Rhynchocephalia, but not in Crocodilia. The parietal eye is present in some species of lizards (Squamata) and in the tuatara (Rhynchocephalia). Both the pineal gland and the parietal eye are photosensitive. In particular, the parietal eye is an highly organized photoreceptive structure, with a well-defined lens, cornea and retina. The most important (and studied) secretory product of this complex is the hormone melatonin which is synthesized by both organs (pineal and parietal eye). The pineal organ is believed to be the neuroendocrine transducer of changes in photoperiod and environmental temperature and it has been demonstrated to have a functional role in many aspects of reptilian biology. Melatonin has an influence on the...

Dynamics of predation in Lacertidae: the relation between locomotor pattern and prey-capture probability in three contrasted species

The probability that lizards would capture crickets declined with distance from the snout, at rates which were significantly more rapid in all directions in Lacerta vivipara than in Podarcis muralis or L. viridis, i.e. the former species responded to potential prey over a smaller area. Capture probabilities at any distance in front of or behind the snout were lower in P. muralis or L. viridis which were pausing during locomotion than in basking lizards, confirming previous results with L. vivipara. Using capture probabilities for pausing lizards to calculate the average time it would take to find a single item of prey (t f ) in relation to the mean length of locomotor bursts, on the assumption that prey could only be detected while a lizard was pausing, showed that actual mean burst distance corresponded exactly with the burst distances which gave rise to minimum t f in L. vivipara. Mean locomotor burst distances in P. muralis and L. viridis were lower than the distances which gave minimum t f values. It is suggested that, in these species, the mean burst length has evolved as a compromise between minimising t f and avoiding the high overall energy expenditures which would result from long burst lengths.