Nonvisual Photoreceptors in Arthropods with Emphasis on Their Putative Role as Receptors of Natural Zeitgeber Stimuli

Fleissner, Gerta

doi:10.1081/cbi-120023679

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…They end up on the posterior surface of the adult optic lobe, readily distinguished by their dark screening pigment. Such adult derivatives of larval stemmata have been reported for lepidoptera (Ichikawa 1991), beetles (Schulz et al 1984), ants (Felisberti and Ventura 1996), flies (Seifert et al 1987), caddisflies (Hagberg 1986), and other insects (Fleissner and Fleissner 2003;Gilbert 1994). Originally thought to be degenerate remnants in adults, accumulating morphological and physiological evidence indicates that the stemmata remain functional in adults (Ichikawa 1991;Gilbert 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Adult stemmata of the butterfly Vanessa cardui express UV and green opsin mRNAs

Briscoe

White

2004

Cell Tissue Res

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Adult stemmata are distinctive insect photoreceptors located on the posterior surfaces of the optic lobes. They originate as larval eyes that migrate inward during metamorphosis. We used a combination of light microscopy and in situ hybridization to examine their anatomical organization in the butterfly Vanessa cardui and to test for the presence of visual pigments, the light sensitive components of the visual transduction pathway. The bilateral cluster of six internal stemmata is located near the ventral edge of the lamina. They retain the dark screening pigment and overlying crystalline cones of the larval stemmata. We found two opsin mRNAs expressed in the stemmata that are also expressed, respectively, in UV-sensitive and green-sensitive photoreceptor cells in the compound eye. A third mRNA that is expressed in blue-sensitive photoreceptor cells of the compound eye was not expressed in the stemmata. Our results reinforce the idea that the adult stemmata are not merely developmental remnants of larval eyes, but remain functional, possibly as components of the circadian input channel.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Adult stemmata of the butterfly Vanessa cardui express UV and green opsin mRNAs

Briscoe

White

2004

Cell Tissue Res

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“…Behavioral experiments with different fly mutants showed that, besides the compound eyes and the ocelli, at least three different non-visual channels are additionally involved in synchronizing the circadian clock: the Hofbauer-Buchner eyelet (discussed above), the blue-light photopigment cryptochrome, and unknown photopigments in clock-geneexpressing dorsal neurons (Helfrich-Forster et al, 2001;Rieger et al, 2003). Other putative extra-retinal photoreceptors described in different hemi-and holometabolous insect orders are the lamina and lobula organs, located in the optic lobe (Fleissner and Fleissner, 2003). The laminar organs have been found on the proximal dorso-frontal rim of the lamina, the part of the optic lobe where we found strong UV opsin-and PER-immunoreactivity in the bumblebee (Fig.·6).…”

Section: Putative Non-visual Extra-retinal Photoreceptorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular characterization and expression of the UV opsin in bumblebees:three ommatidial subtypes in the retina and a new photoreceptor organ in the lamina

Spaethe

Briscoe

2005

Journal of Experimental Biology

104

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SUMMARY Ultraviolet-sensitive photoreceptors have been shown to be important for a variety of visual tasks performed by bees, such as orientation, color and polarization vision, yet little is known about their spatial distribution in the compound eye or optic lobe. We cloned and sequenced a UV opsin mRNA transcript from Bombus impatiens head-specific cDNA and, using western blot analysis, detected an eye protein band of ∼41 kDa,corresponding to the predicted molecular mass of the encoded opsin. We then characterized UV opsin expression in the retina, ocelli and brain using immunocytochemistry. In the main retina, we found three different ommatidial types with respect to the number of UV opsin-expressing photoreceptor cells,namely ommatidia containing two, one or no UV opsin-immunoreactive cells. We also observed UV opsin expression in the ocelli. These results indicate that the cloned opsin probably encodes the P350 nm pigment, which was previously characterized by physiological recordings. Surprisingly, in addition to expression in the retina and ocelli, we found opsin expression in different parts of the brain. UV opsin immunoreactivity was detected in the proximal rim of the lamina adjacent to the first optic chiasm, which is where studies in other insects have found expression of proteins involved in the circadian clock, period and cryptochrome. We also found UV opsin immunoreactivity in the core region of the antennal lobe glomeruli and different clusters of perikarya within the protocerebrum, indicating a putative function of these brain regions, together with the lamina organ, in the entrainment of circadian rhythms. In order to test for a possible overlap of clock protein and UV opsin spatial expression, we also examined the expression of the period protein in these regions.

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“…However, the ßuorescence surrounding the eyes of Reticulitermes workers shows that these areas are opaque to UV light and may be allowing exposure of UV photosensors in the head. UV chromophores are known to be involved in insect sight (Kay 1969;Eckert 1971), and photoreceptors have been reported from within the brain (protocerebrum) itself (Gao et al 1999, Fleissner andFleissner 2003). There is also precedence for photoreception that involves areas of modiÞed cuticle on the head that allow penetration of restricted frequencies of light (Meyer 1977, Hardie et al 1981, Seifert et al 1987.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%