Role of melanopsin in visual development

Melanopsin (OPN4), a G protein-coupled receptor, is spectrally sensitive to blue light at a wavelength of 480 nm and is the third type of mammalian photoreceptor in addition to optic rods and cones.OPN4 is primarily located in the dendrites and cell bodies of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells and projects received visual signals to non-visual regions of the brain.OPN4 plays an important role in the body by participating in the circadian rhythm and regulating sleep, melatonin release and alertness.In visual development, OPN4 plays an important role in the light reflex of the pupil, the regulation of dopamine synthesis in the retina, and influences refractive development and myopia development.However, the role of OPN4 in inhibiting the development of myopia and the role of dopamine in melanopsin-mediated photoregulation are still controversial.In future studies, observing whether there are different regulatory mechanisms of OPN4-related cells involved in visual development may provide new ideas and methods to control the progression of myopia.This article reviews the recent research on melanopsin’s role in visual development from three aspects: its relationship with visual development, its relationship with circadian rhythm, and its involvement in regulating retinal dopamine.

KEYWORDS：