The Evolution of Eyes

Land, Michael F.; Fernald, Russell D.

doi:10.1146/annurev.ne.15.030192.000245

Cited by 313 publications

(170 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…It is tempting to speculate that this protein is TKT, given that we have observed significant levels of TKT mRNA in the bovine cornea. 2 TKT exhibits a progressive increase in expression throughout cornea maturation that correlates with eye opening. This finding is consistent with previous observations on developing corneas which demonstrate an increase in PP pathway activity during cornea maturation (44,55).…”

Section: Fig 6 Western Blot Analysis Of Tkt Expressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transketolase Is a Major Protein in the Mouse Cornea

Salamon

et al. 1996

Journal of Biological Chemistry

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Earlier experiments in this laboratory identified a highly expressed 65-68-kDa protein in both mouse and human corneas (Cuthbertson, R. A., Tomarev, S. I., and Piatigorsky J. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 89, 4004 -4008). Here, we demonstrate that this protein is transketolase (TKT; EC 2.2.1.1), an enzyme in the nonoxidative branch of the pentose-phosphate pathway, based on peptide and cDNA isolation and sequence analysis of mouse cornea protein and RNA samples, respectively. While expressed at low levels in a number of tissues, the 2.1-kilobase TKT mRNA was expressed at a 50-fold higher level in the adult mouse cornea. The area of most abundant expression was localized to the cornea epithelial cell layer by in situ hybridization. Western blot analysis confirmed TKT protein abundance in the cornea and indicated that TKT may comprise as much as 10% of the total soluble protein of the adult mouse cornea. Soluble cornea extracts exhibited a correspondingly high level of TKT enzymatic activity. TKT expression increased progressively through cornea maturation, as shown by Northern blot, in situ hybridization, Western blot, and enzymatic analyses. TKT mRNA and protein were expressed at low levels in the cornea prior to eye opening, while markedly increased levels were observed after eye opening. Taken together, these observations suggest that TKT may be a cornea enzymecrystallin, and suggest that the crystallin paradigm and concept of gene sharing, once thought to be restricted to the lens, apply to other transparent ocular tissues.

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Section: Fig 6 Western Blot Analysis Of Tkt Expressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transketolase Is a Major Protein in the Mouse Cornea

Salamon

et al. 1996

Journal of Biological Chemistry

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“…Most of the major animal groups comprise species with a simple eye spot. A more elaborate optical system can be found in only six of the animal phyla; these, however, contribute about 96% of the known species (2). Different explanations for the diversity of eyes have been proposed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Squid Pax-6 and eye development

Tomarev

Callaerts²,

Kos³

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

192

135

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Pax-6 in vertebrates and its homolog eyeless in Drosophila are known to be essential for eye development. Here we investigate the role of Pax-6 in eye development in another major systematic group, molluscs. We demonstrate that alternatively spliced RNAs derived from a single Pax-6 gene in the squid (Loligo opalescens) are expressed in the embryonic eye, olfactory organ, brain, and arms. Despite significant sequence differences between squid Pax-6 and Drosophila eyeless in the region outside the paired-and homeodomains, squid Pax-6 is able to induce the formation of ectopic eyes in Drosophila. Our results support the idea that Pax-6 related genes are necessary for eye and olfactory system formation throughout the animal kingdom.

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“…Insect eyes are classified according to the optical system that they employ to focus incident light efficiently onto the lightsensitive parts of their photoreceptors as either apposition or optical superposition eyes. [355][356][357][358][359] Apposition eyes are the main type of eyes found in insects ( Figure 16C). Here, each facet is a separate light detector.…”

Section: Insect Eyesmentioning

confidence: 99%

It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature: Functional Materials in Insects

2018

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Over the course of their wildly successful proliferation across the earth, the insects as a taxon have evolved enviable adaptations to their diverse habitats, which include adhesives, locomotor systems, hydrophobic surfaces, and sensors and actuators that transduce mechanical, acoustic, optical, thermal, and chemical signals. Insect‐inspired designs currently appear in a range of contexts, including antireflective coatings, optical displays, and computing algorithms. However, as over one million distinct and highly specialized species of insects have colonized nearly all habitable regions on the planet, they still provide a largely untapped pool of unique problem‐solving strategies. With the intent of providing materials scientists and engineers with a muse for the next generation of bioinspired materials, here, a selection of some of the most spectacular adaptations that insects have evolved is assembled and organized by function. The insects presented display dazzling optical properties as a result of natural photonic crystals, precise hierarchical patterns that span length scales from nanometers to millimeters, and formidable defense mechanisms that deploy an arsenal of chemical weaponry. Successful mimicry of these adaptations may facilitate technological solutions to as wide a range of problems as they solve in the insects that originated them.

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The Evolution of Eyes

Cited by 313 publications

References 64 publications

Transketolase Is a Major Protein in the Mouse Cornea

Transketolase Is a Major Protein in the Mouse Cornea

Squid Pax-6 and eye development

It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature: Functional Materials in Insects

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