Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels play a pivotal role in phototransduction. Mutations in the cone CNG channel subunits CNGA3 and CNGB3 account for >70% of all known cases of achromatopsia. Cones degenerate in achromatopsia patients and in CNGA3(-/-) and CNGB3(-/-) mice. This work investigates the molecular basis of cone degeneration in CNG channel deficiency. As cones comprise only 2-3% of...

This paper presents an experimental study of a 4-cylinder, downsized and boosted, spark ignition engine fuelled by either directly injected compressed natural gas (DI CNG) or gasoline (GDI). Three different charge preparation strategies are investigated for both fuels: stoichiometric operation without external dilution, with exhaust recirculation (EGR) lean burn. The performance the optimized D...

Road transportation has received the attention of researchers due to its higher carbon footprint. Alternative fuels present major advantages in terms environmental sustainability. For this reason, an enviro-economic analysis alternative carries great significance. However, scarce attempts have been rendered order ascertain impact a hydroxy gas (HHO) and compressed natural (CNG) mixture on susta...

The rd1 natural mutant is one of the first and probably the most commonly studied mouse model for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a severe and frequently blinding human retinal degeneration. In several decades of research, the link between the increase in photoreceptor cGMP levels and the extremely rapid cell death gave rise to a number of hypotheses. Here, we provide clear evidence that the presenc...

Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels conduct NaF, KF and Ca2F currents under the control of cGMP and cAMP. Activation of CNG channels leads to depolarization of the membrane voltage and to a concomitant increase of the cytosolic Ca2F concentration. Several polypeptides were identified that constitute principal and modulatory subunits of CNG channels in both neurons and non-excitable cells, co...

The response of cone photoreceptors to light is stable and reproducible because of the exceptional regulation of the cascade of enzymatic reactions that link visual pigment (VP) excitation to the gating of cyclic GMP (cGMP)-gated ion channels (cyclic nucleotide-gated [CNG]) in the outer segment plasma membrane. Regulation is achieved in part through negative feedback control of some of these re...

In mammals, the master circadian clock resides in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The period and phase of the circadian pacemaker are calibrated by direct photic input from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). SCN-projecting RGCs respond to light in the absence of rod- and cone-driven synaptic input, a property for which they are termed intrinsically photosensitive. In SCN-proje...

RATIONALE We have shown recently that particulate (pGC) and soluble guanylyl (sGC) cyclases synthesize cGMP in different compartments in adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs). OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) exerts a feedback control on cGMP concentration contributing to its intracellular compartmentation. METHODS AND RESULTS Global cGMP levels, cGMP-phos...

Local anesthetics are a diverse group of clinically useful compounds that act as pore blockers of both voltage- and cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels. We used the local anesthetic tetracaine to probe the nature of the conformational change that occurs in the pore of CNG channels during the opening allosteric transition. When applied to the intracellular side of wild-type rod CNG channe...

One of the most attractive features of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) is the possibility for users to interact with a large number of other users in a variety of collaborative and competitive situations. Gamers within an MMOG typically become members of active communities with mutual interests, shared adventures, and common objectives. We present the EU funded Community Network Game...