In the retina, vision begins when light is captured by opsin proteins within photoreceptor outer segments, specialized sensory cilia that continuously renew. While this process is well characterized in rods, technical limitations have made it difficult to quantify in cones. This seminar will explore a high-precision in vivo pulse-chase labeling platform using SNAP-tag opsin fusions and AAV-mediated expression to track opsin turnover over time. This approach confirms known renewal rates in rods while revealing distinct dynamics in cones, providing new insights into photoreceptor renewal under physiological and pathological conditions.
