Opsin gene polymorphism predicts trichromacy in a cathemeral lemur

Abstract

Recent research has identified polymorphic trichromacy in three diurnal strepsirrhines: Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli), black and white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata), and red ruffed lemurs (V. rubra). Current hypotheses suggest that the transitions to diurnality experienced by Propithecus and Varecia were necessary precursors to their independent acquisitions of trichromacy. Accordingly, cathemeral lemurs are thought to lack the M/L opsin gene polymorphism necessary for trichromacy. In this study, the M/L opsin gene was sequenced in ten cathemeral blue-eyed black lemurs (Eulemur macaco flavifrons). This analysis identified a polymorphism identical to that of other trichromatic strepsirrhines at the critical amino acid position 285 in exon 5 of the M/L opsin gene. Thus, polymorphic trichromacy is likely present in at least one cathemeral Eulemur species, suggesting that strict diurnality is not necessary for trichromacy. The presence of trichromacy in E. m. flavifrons suggests that a re-evaluation of current hypotheses regarding the evolution of strepsirrhine trichromacy may be necessary. Although the M/L opsin polymorphism may have been independently acquired three times in the lemurid-indriid clade, the distribution of opsin alleles in lemurids and indriids may also be consistent with a common origin of trichromacy in the last common ancestor of either the lemurids or the lemurid-indriid clade.

Inferred L/M cone opsin polymorphism of ancestral tarsiers sheds dim light on the origin of anthropoid primates

“…This gene section contains three nucleotide sites that are critical for spectral tuning of the photopigment, encoding residue 180 in exon 3 and residues 277 and 285 in exon 5 (the three-sites rule [26 -28]). In contrast to platyrrhine monkeys, polymorphisms are reported for strepsirrhine primates and tarsiers at site 285 only [17,29]; however, variation at any of the three sites can shift photopigment sensitivity and we, therefore, examined each. PCR primers were designed to amplify overlapping segments in this region based on conservation of nucleotide sequences among previously reported L/M opsin genes of other primates (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S2).…”

New perspectives on anthropoid origins

“…Males, by contrast, receive only one red-green allele and are dichromats. The most recent genetic data suggest that such "polymorphic trichromacy" has evolved multiple times among diurnal and cathemeral lemuriform primates as well (86,87), although the functionality of color vision in lemurs needs to be more fully explored (88). Similarly, studies of Australian marsupials suggest that many are routine trichromats like catarrhine primates (89).…”

The Genetic and Evolutionary Drives behind Primate Color Vision

“…However, it is important to notice that, in many cases, different combinations of residues across the three sites ( (Jacobs and Deegan, 2003a). In the other two families that form the New World monkey parvorder, Data taken from Mollon et al (1984), Travis et al (1988), Boissinot et al (1998), Tan and Li (1999), Jacobs and Deegan (2001, 2003a,b, 2005, Saito et al (2004), Talebi et al (2006), Veilleux and Bolnick (2009), Bunce et al (2011), Corso et al (2016, and Jacobs and Bradley (2016).…”

“…A polymorphic LWS gene has been reported in three diurnal prosimian species, the red ruffed lemur, Varecia variegata rubra, Coquerel's sifaka, Propithecus verreauxi coquereli, and the blue-eyed black lemur, Eulemur macaco flavifrons, and in a nocturnal species, the greater dwarf lemur, Cheirogaleus major (Tan and Li, 1999;Jacobs et al, 2002;Veilleux and Bolnick, 2009). However, in these species, the spectral shifts between pigments arise from substitution at just site 285, with Thr present in the L pigment gene and Ala in the M pigment gene, encoding pigments with λ max of 558 and 543-545 nm, respectively (Tan and Li, 1999;Jacobs et al, 2002;Veilleux and Bolnick, 2009). In the majority of non-polymorphic species, an M pigment (with Ala285) is present, with L pigments (with Thr285) found in only three species.…”