Douglas Forrest Research Images
Research Images
Cone photoreceptors in the developing retina: Cones are the sensory cells that mediate color perception. In most mammals, including mice, cones express opsins for sensitivity to short (S, blue) or medium (M, green) wavelengths of light. A thyroid hormone receptor, TRb2, is essential for the expression of M opsin. TRb2-deficiency causes loss of M opsin and all cones instead express S opsin. (Picture by Lily Ng).
RORb expression in the embryonic mouse retina: RORb expression is strong in the developing neural retina (black arrow) and is detected more weakly in the forebrain (open arrow) at gestational day 17. (Picture by Maya Srinivas).
Sites of expression of thyroid hormone receptor b include the anterior pituitary gland (left) and inner ear (right) : In the anterior pituitary (AP), TRb regulates the production of thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone), which in turn regulates thyroid gland activity. Deletion of TRb results in excessive levels of TSH and thyroid hormones. Human resistance to thyroid hormone results from mutations in TRb. In the inner ear, TRb is expressed in the auditory sensory tissues in the cochlea (c) and not in the vestibular components (v). Deletion of TRb results in deafness. (Picture by Iwan Jones).
Page last updated: December 16, 2008
