coneopsiner

Coneopsiner is a hypothetical photoreceptor signaling factor described in speculative literature and some worldbuilding contexts as part of the vertebrate retina’s cone pathway. The term combines cone, opsin, and the suffix -er, signaling an active agent associated with cone photoreceptors. In the proposed models, coneopsiner participates in the early transduction cascade after light is absorbed by cone opsins, modulating signal gain and adaptation across lighting conditions.

Proposed mechanism. In these accounts, coneopsiner is envisioned to bind to cone opsins or adjacent signaling partners, influencing G protein activation or arrestin-mediated deactivation. This interaction could adjust the effective sensitivity of cones during transitions from bright to dim light, and possibly contribute to finer color discrimination by shaping the temporal response of cone signals.

Evidence and status. There is no direct experimental evidence for the existence of coneopsiner in living organisms. The idea appears mainly in theoretical discussions, computational models, and some fictional narratives. It is used as a construct to explore how cone signaling might be regulated beyond well-established phototransduction steps.

Relation to real biology. Real cone signaling relies on the canonical opsin-based phototransduction cascade in cone photoreceptors, with well-characterized roles for opsins, transducin, phosphodiesterase, and arrestin. Coneopsiner, as described in speculative sources, would be a modulatory component complementing these pathways, should it exist.

See also: Photoreceptors, Cone opsin, Phototransduction, Neural adaptation.