Abstract
Melanopsin is a recently discovered photopigment found in intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). It is involved in non-image forming vision, including circadian photoentrainment and the pupillary light reflex. It is also involved in light-related disorders, such as seasonal affective disorder. When light isomerizes the photopigment, a phototransduction cascade is activated, which produces an electrical signal that is sent to the brain. We developed a mathematical model of melanopsin's phototransduction pathway by using the law of mass action to convert chemical equations describing the pathway to a series of differential equations that was solved with MATLAB. Model parameters of the activation and deactivation were determined by fitting the model results to experimental calcium imaging data collected from transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells expressing the melanopsin gene as well as electrophysiological data collected from ipRGCs. Mathematical simulations of a single flash response produce results consistent with those seen in the experimental data.This work was funded by NSF for Undergraduate Biology and Mathematics Research Training, NSF IOSO721608 to P.R.R., NEI R01Y019053 to P.R.R.
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