Ultraviolet Light: Photosensitivity and Other Effects on the Visual System *

Stark, William S.; Tan, K. E. W. P.

doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1982.tb04389.x

Cited by 76 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…2A). In complementary experiments carried out in the laboratory, we (18,21), fishes (22), birds (23,24), and rodents (25) present visual sensitivity to UV radiation. However, photoreceptor sensitivity curves always have maxima in the UVA region (above 320 nm) (17-19, 21-23, 25), and it would seem unlikely, therefore, that these photoreceptors may detect variations in natural UVB levels.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception of solar UVB radiation by phytophagous insects: Behavioral responses and ecosystem implications

Mazza

Zavala

Scopel

et al. 1999

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

117

112

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Most of our present knowledge about the impacts of solar UVB radiation on terrestrial ecosystems comes from studies with plants. Recently, the effects of UVB on the growth and survival of consumer species have begun to receive attention, but very little is known about UVB impacts on animal behavior. Here we report that manipulations of the f lux of solar UVB received by field-grown soybean crops had large and consistent effects on the density of the thrips (Caliothrips phaseoli, Thysanoptera: Thripidae) populations that invaded the canopies, as well as on the amount of leaf damage caused by the insects. Solar UVB strongly reduced thrips herbivory. Thrips not only preferred leaves from plants that were not exposed to solar UVB over leaves from UVBexposed plants in laboratory and field choice experiments, but they also appeared to directly sense and avoid exposure to solar UVB. Additional choice experiments showed that soybean leaf consumption by the late-season soybean worm Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was much less intense in leaves with even slight symptoms of an early thrips attack than in undamaged leaves. These experiments suggest that phytophagous insects can present direct and indirect behavioral responses to solar UVB. The indirect responses are mediated by changes in the plant host that are induced by UVB and, possibly, by other insects whose behavior is affected by UVB.Depletion of stratospheric ozone (1) is a cause of concern because the biological impacts of an increase in solar UVB (290-320 nm) are unknown. Most studies to date on ecological effects of solar UVB have been carried out on plants (2-4); however, there is growing awareness in the UVB research community (2-7), as well as among those studying other aspects of global environmental change (8), about the limitations of impact predictions that result from up-scaling information obtained in studies of a single organism or trophic level. The concentration of the research effort on plants is in part a consequence of the assumption that the effects of UVB on ecosystem functioning are largely mediated by its effects on the primary producers (6).Recent studies on animal consumers have focused on those effects of UVB on consumer growth and survival that are mediated by changes in host chemistry (9-11) and on direct damaging effects of UVB. In the latter regard, it has been shown that certain animal species (particular instars), such as juvenile forms of some aquatic organisms, are not well protected from UV radiation and are damaged by prolonged exposure to present-day levels of UVA (320-400 nm) and UVB (4, 12, 13) radiation. Damaging effects of acute exposures on zooplanktonic organisms have also been documented in studies carried out in Antarctic waters under ozone-hole episodes (14). Interestingly, one of the few studies that included more than one trophic level has shown that direct damaging effects of solar UV radiation on phytophagous insect larvae can counterbalance the negative impact of UV on algal photosynthesis an...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception of solar UVB radiation by phytophagous insects: Behavioral responses and ecosystem implications

Mazza

Zavala

Scopel

et al. 1999

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

117

112

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“…Many species have been credited with sensitivity to UV light (see Stark & Tan, 1982, for a review), and UV-sensitive photoreceptors have been identified by microspectrophotometry in several species of fish (see for example Bowmaker & Kunz, 1987). We report here the first electrophysiological recordings of UV-sensitive photoreceptors in a vertebrate, and confirm that absorption in the UV range is indeed physiologically relevant, rather than (for example) representing absorption by the 11-cis or all-trans isomers of free retinal.…”

Section: Spectral Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Response properties of cones from the retina of the tiger salamander.

Perry

McNaughton

1991

The Journal of Physiology

191

169

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SUMMARY1. Spectral sensitivity measurements using the suction electrode technique reveal three types of cone in the retina of the tiger salamander, showing maximum sensitivity at wavelengths 610 nm (red-sensitive cone), 444 nm (blue-sensitive cone) and below 400 nm (UV-sensitive cone).2. The absolute sensitivities of red-and blue-sensitive cones to flashes of optimal wavelength are 0-022 and 0.33 pA photon-' /Zm2 respectively.3. The time-to-peak of the dim flash response and the recovery of membrane current after a flash of any intensity are fastest in red-sensitive and slowest in bluesensitive cones.4. In blue-and UV-sensitive cones the flash response peaks progressively earlier as the flash strength is increased, as in rods. In red-sensitive cones, however, bright flash responses take longer to peak than dim flash responses.5. In all three cone types, voltage clamping at -40 mV reduces the time-to-peak of the response to a bright flash, showing that the rising phase of the bright flash response is normally limited by the time constant of the cell. Under voltage clamp, all cones show a decrease in time-to-peak with increasing flash intensity.6. Voltage clamping red-sensitive cones reveals two components of the rising phase of the response to a bright flash. Most of the current is rapidly suppressed by a bright flash, and represents the closure of light-sensitive channels. The residual current decays with a mean time constant of 20 ms, and is probably attributable to the decline of electrogenic Na+-Ca2+, K+ 10. About 60 % of the membrane current remains after replacement of external sodium ions with an impermeant cation, and this residual current is abolished by removal of calcium ions.

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“…bleaching events) within a given time period. The photosensitivity of rhodopsin to bleaching by UVA light is not known but rhodopsin absorbs UVA light as a result of its ' cis ' peak at 354 nm which absorbs at about one-third its primary peak (Stark and Tan, 1982). Furthermore, transmittance through the rat lens in the UVA ranges from 35 to 79 % between 325 and 400 nm which is much greater than in primates (Gorgels and van Norren, 1991).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%