Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T13:15:14.077Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Microspectrophotometric and immunocytochemical identification of ultraviolet photoreceptors in geckos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

E. R. Loew ,
V. I. Govardovskii ,
P. Röhlich  and
Á. Szél
E. R. Loew
Affiliation:
Department and Section of Physiology, Cornell University, Ithaca
V. I. Govardovskii
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
P. Röhlich
Affiliation:
Laboratory I of Electron Microscopy and 2nd Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
Á. Szél
Affiliation:
Laboratory I of Electron Microscopy and 2nd Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Retinas of the nocturnal geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus, Hemidactylus garnotii, and Teratoscincus scincus, were studied with microspectrophotometry and immunocytochemistry against various visual pigment epitopes to reveal UV-sensitive photoreceptors. From 6–20% of the thinner members of type C double photoreceptors, earlier believed to be blue-sensitive, were found to contain a UV-absorbing visual pigment with λmax at 363–366 nm. The pigment had bleaching and dichroic properties typical of other photoreceptor cell types of the retina. Presumptive UV-sensitive cells in retinal sections were “negatively” labeled as they did not react with either the cone-specific monoclonal antibody COS-1 or with the anti-rhodopsin polyclonal serum AO, which together labeled all of the remaining photoreceptor types (green-sensitive A singles, B doubles, and thicker members of C doubles, as well as the blue-sensitive majority of thinner members of C doubles). UV cells were moderately stained with the mAb K42–41 produced against the 5–6 loop of bovine rhodopsin, which also moderately labeled blue-sensitive cells. mAb OS-2 strongly stained all outer segments, including the UV-sensitive ones. Similarities between gecko UV visual pigments, and UV visual pigments of other vertebrates, as well as possible functional significance of these cells are discussed.

Keywords

GeckoUltraviolet photoreceptorsImmunocytochemistryVisual pigments
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , March 1996 , pp. 247 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adamus, G., Arendt, A., Zam, Z.S., McDowell, J.H. & Hargrave, P.A. (1988). Use of peptides to select for anti-rhodopsin antibodies with desired amino acid sequence specificities. Peptide Research 1, 42–47.Google ScholarPubMed
Avery, J.A., Bowmaker, J.K., Djamgoz, M.B.A. & Downing, J.E.G. (1983). Ultraviolet-sensitive receptors in a freshwater fish. Journal of Physiology 334, 23.Google Scholar
Bowmaker, J.K. & Kunz, Y.W. (1987). Ultraviolet receptors, tetrachromatic colour vision and retinal mosaics in the brown trout (Salmo trutta): Age-dependent changes. Vision Research 27, 2102–2108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowmaker, J.K., Thorpe, A. & Douglas, R.H. (1991). Ultraviolet-sensitive cones in the goldfish. Vision Research 31, 349–352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, D.-M., Collins, J.S. & Goldsmith, T.H. (1984). The ultraviolet receptors of bird retinas. Science 225, 337–340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crescitelli, F. (1972). The visual cells and visual pigments of the vertebrate eye. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology, 7/1, ed. Dartnall, H.J.A., pp. 245–363. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Crescitelli, F. (1977). The visual pigments of geckos and other vertebrates: An essay in comparative biology. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology, 7/5, ed. Crescitelli, F., pp. 391–450. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Crescitelli, F. (1991). The natural history of visual pigments: 1990. In Progress in Retinal Research, II, ed. Osborne, N. & Chader, G., pp. 1–32, Oxford: Pergamon.Google Scholar
Crescitelli, F., Dartnall, H.J.A. & Loew, E.R. (1977). The geckovisual pigments: A microspectrophotometric study. Journal of Physiology 268, 559–573.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CserhÁTi, P., Szél, Á. & Röhlich, P. (1989). Four cone types characterized by anti-visual pigment antibodies in the pigeon retina. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 30, 74–81.Google ScholarPubMed
Govardovskii, V.I., Zueva, L.V. & Lychakov, D.V. (1984). Microspectrophotometric study of visual pigments in five species of geckos. Vision Research 24, 1421–1423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HÁrosi, F.I. (1985). Ultraviolet- and violet-absorbing vertebrate visual pigments: Dichroic and bleaching properties. In The Visual System, ed. Fein, A. & Levine, J.S., pp. 41–55. New York: Liss.Google Scholar
HÁrosi, F.I. (1994). An analysis of two spectral properties of vertebrate visual pigments. Vision Research 34, 1359–1367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HÁrosi, F.L. & Hashimoto, Y. (1983). Ultraviolet visual pigment in a vertebrate: A tetrachromatic cone system in the dace. Science 222, 1021–1023.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, G.H. (1992). Ultraviolet vision in vertebrates. American Zoology 32, 544–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, G.H., Neitz, J. & Deegan, J.F. II. (1991). Retinal receptors in rodents maximally sensitive to ultraviolet light. Nature 353, 655–656.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobs, G.H. & Deegan, J.F. II. (1994). Sensitivity to ultraviolet light in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus): Characteristics and mechanisms. Vision Research 34, 1433–1441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kojima, D., Okano, T., Fukada, Y., Shichida, Y., Yoshizawa, T. & Ebrey, Th. G. (1992). Cone visual pigments are present in gecko rod cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. 89, 6841–6845.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liebman, P.A. (1972). Microspectrophotometry of photoreceptors. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology, 7/1, ed. Dartnall, H.J.A., pp. 481–528. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Loew, E.R. (1994). A third, ultraviolet-sensitive, visual pigment in the Tokay Gecko, Gekko Gekko. Vision Research 34, 1368–1372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loew, E.R. & Wahl, C.M. (1991). A short-wavelength-sensitive cone mechanism in juvenile yellow perch, Perca flavescens. Vision Research 31, 353–360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macnichol, E.F. Jr. (1986). A unifying presentation of photopigment spectra. Vision Research 26, 1543–1556.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maier, E.J. & Bowmaker, J.K. (1993). Colour vision in the passeriform bird Leiothrix lutea: Correlation of visual pigment absorbance and oil droplet transmission with spectral sensitivity. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 172, 295–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansfield, R.J.W. (1985). Primate photopigments and cone mechanisms. In The Visual System, Fein, A. & Levine, J.S., pp. 89–106. New York: Liss.Google Scholar
Partridge, J.C. & Degrip, W.J.A. (1991). A new template for rhodopsin (vitamin A1-based) visual pigments. Vision Research 31, 619–630.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perry, R.J. & McNaughton, P.A. (1991). Response properties of cones from the retina of the tiger salamander. Journal of Physiology 433, 561–587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
RöHlich, P. & Szél, Á. (1993). Epitopes of cone-specific monoclonal antibodies COS-1 and OS-2. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 34, 1323.Google Scholar
Szél, Á. & RÖHlich, P. (1985). Localization of visual pigment antigens to photoreceptor cells with different oil droplets in the chicken retina. Acta Biologica (Hungary) 36, 319–324.Google ScholarPubMed
Szél, Á., TakÁCs, L., Monostori, É., Diamantstein, T., Vigh-Teich-Mann, I. & RÖHlich, P. (1986 a). Monoclonal antibody recognizing cone visual pigment. Experimental Eye Research 43, 871–883.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Szél, Á., RÖHlich, P. & Govardovskii, V. (1986 b). Immunocytochemical discrimination of visual pigments in the retinal photoreceptors of the nocturnal gecko Teratoscincus scincus. Experimental Eye Research 43, 895–904.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Underwood, G. (1970). The eye. In Biology of the Reptilia, 2, ed. Gans, C. & Parsons, T.S. pp. 7–97. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar