C3H mice (C3H/He; not carrying rd mutation)93 were housed under a 12:12 LD cycle with food and water ad libitum. For initial qPCR and antibody analysis eyes (n = 5, P130–135) were collected at Zeitgeber time ZT8 (8 hours after light onset) and processed as described below. Developmental and circadian samples (mRNA and retina sections) were originally collected as part of a previous study94. Developmental samples were collected from wildtype C3H/He mice at P0, P3, P5, P10, P14 and P30 (n = 6) at ZT8. Circadian samples were collected from wildtype C3H/He mice (>P45) at ZT3, ZT8, ZT13, ZT18 and ZT23 (n = 6).