The visual pigment and vitamin A of Xenopus laevis embryos, larvae and adults

Transcriptomic evidence for visual adaptation during the aquatic to terrestrial metamorphosis in leopard frogs

BACKGROUND

Differences in morphology, ecology, and behavior through ontogeny can result in opposing selective pressures at different life stages. Most animals, however, transition through two or more distinct phenotypic phases, which is hypothesized to allow each life stage to adapt more freely to its ecological niche. How this applies to sensory systems, and in particular how sensory systems adapt across life stages at the molecular level, is not well understood. Here, we used whole-eye transcriptomes to investigate differences in gene expression between tadpole and juvenile southern leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus), which rely on vision in aquatic and terrestrial light environments, respectively. Because visual physiology changes with light levels, we also tested the effect of light and dark exposure.

RESULTS

We found 42% of genes were differentially expressed in the eyes of tadpoles versus juveniles and 5% for light/dark exposure. Analyses targeting a curated subset of visual genes revealed significant differential expression of genes that control aspects of visual function and development, including spectral sensitivity and lens composition. Finally, microspectrophotometry of photoreceptors confirmed shifts in spectral sensitivity predicted by the expression results, consistent with adaptation to distinct light environments.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we identified extensive expression-level differences in the eyes of tadpoles and juveniles related to observed morphological and physiological changes through metamorphosis and corresponding adaptive shifts to improve vision in the distinct aquatic and terrestrial light environments these frogs inhabit during their life cycle. More broadly, these results suggest that decoupling of gene expression can mediate the opposing selection pressures experienced by organisms with complex life cycles that inhabit different environmental conditions throughout ontogeny.

Evolutionary analyses of visual opsin genes in frogs and toads: Diversity, duplication, and positive selection

Among major vertebrate groups, anurans (frogs and toads) are understudied with regard to their visual systems, and little is known about variation among species that differ in ecology. We sampled North American anurans representing diverse evolutionary and life histories that likely possess visual systems adapted to meet different ecological needs. Using standard molecular techniques, visual opsin genes, which encode the protein component of visual pigments, were obtained from anuran retinas. Additionally, we extracted the visual opsins from publicly available genome and transcriptome assemblies, further increasing the phylogenetic and ecological diversity of our dataset to 33 species in total. We found that anurans consistently express four visual opsin genes (RH1, LWS, SWS1, and SWS2, but not RH2) even though reported photoreceptor complements vary widely among species. The proteins encoded by these genes showed considerable sequence variation among species, including at sites known to shift the spectral sensitivity of visual pigments in other vertebrates and had conserved substitutions that may be related to dim-light adaptation. Using molecular evolutionary analyses of selection (dN/dS) we found significant evidence for positive selection at a subset of sites in the dim-light rod opsin gene RH1 and the long wavelength sensitive cone opsin LWS. The function of sites inferred to be under positive selection are largely unknown, but a few are likely to affect spectral sensitivity and other visual pigment functions based on proximity to previously identified sites in other vertebrates. We also found the first evidence of visual opsin duplication in an amphibian with the duplication of the LWS gene in the African bullfrog, which had distinct LWS copies on the sex chromosomes suggesting the possibility of sex-specific visual adaptation. Taken together, our results indicate that ecological factors, such as habitat and life history, as well as behavior, may be driving changes to anuran visual systems.

Type II Opsins in the Eye, the Pineal Complex and the Skin of Xenopus laevis: Using Changes in Skin Pigmentation as a Readout of Visual and Circadian Activity

The eye, the pineal complex and the skin are important photosensitive organs. The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, senses light from the environment and adjusts skin color accordingly. For example, light reflected from the surface induces camouflage through background adaptation while light from above produces circadian variation in skin pigmentation. During embryogenesis, background adaptation, and circadian skin variation are segregated responses regulated by the secretion of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and melatonin through the photosensitivity of the eye and pineal complex, respectively. Changes in the color of skin pigmentation have been used as a readout of biochemical and physiological processes since the initial purification of pineal melatonin from pigs, and more recently have been employed to better understand the neuroendocrine circuit that regulates background adaptation. The identification of 37 type II opsin genes in the genome of the allotetraploid X. laevis, combined with analysis of their expression in the eye, pineal complex and skin, is contributing to the elucidation of the role of opsins in the different photosensitive organs, but also brings new questions and challenges. In this review, we analyze new findings regarding the anatomical localization and functions of type II opsins in sensing light. The contribution of X. laevis in revealing the neuroendocrine circuits that regulate background adaptation and circadian light variation through changes in skin pigmentation is discussed. Finally, the presence of opsins in X. laevis skin melanophores is presented and compared with the secretory melanocytes of birds and mammals.

Use of a translucent refuge for Xenopus tropicalis with the aim of improving welfare

Xenopus tropicalis is an increasingly important animal model in a variety of biological research fields. In many countries legislation exists to promote and increase welfare wherever possible, including the ability to view animals during daily husbandry with minimal stress to the animal. X. tropicalis ( n = 16) refuge use was investigated; it was found that the animals significantly preferred black opaque overhead cover to open-ended pipes or closed-off ceramic plants pots in refuge choice experiments. This experiment was repeated by replacing the opaque black overhead cover with red filters. A significant preference for overhead cover was seen for the red translucent cover compared with other available refuges, suggesting that X. tropicalis may adopt translucent refuges due to their visual inabilities. The inability of frogs to see certain wavelengths of light may allow staff to view them whilst simultaneously providing the refuge of choice.

Conversion of a light-driven proton pump into a light-gated ion channel

Interest in microbial rhodopsins with ion pumping activity has been revitalized in the context of optogenetics, where light-driven ion pumps are used for cell hyperpolarization and voltage sensing. We identified an opsin-encoding gene (CsR) in the genome of the arctic alga Coccomyxa subellipsoidea C-169 that can produce large photocurrents in Xenopus oocytes. We used this property to analyze the function of individual residues in proton pumping. Modification of the highly conserved proton shuttling residue R83 or its interaction partner Y57 strongly reduced pumping power. Moreover, this mutation converted CsR at moderate electrochemical load into an operational proton channel with inward or outward rectification depending on the amino acid substitution. Together with molecular dynamics simulations, these data demonstrate that CsR-R83 and its interacting partner Y57 in conjunction with water molecules forms a proton shuttle that blocks passive proton flux during the dark-state but promotes proton movement uphill upon illumination.

Thyroid hormone and retinal development: an emerging field

Thyroid hormone appears to play a critical, yet not fully understood, role in the development of the neuroretina. This review focuses on recent experiments in the rodent, chicken, and amphibian, with an emphasis on how the hormone and its receptor isoforms influence retinal cell proliferation and cell fate decisions. The initial results are fueling the next generation of experiments in the retina, which promise to provide insights into the mechanisms of thyroid hormone action in a wide variety of developing neural tissue.

Rod sensitivity during Xenopus development

We have measured the sensitivity of rod photoreceptors from overnight-dark-adapted Xenopus laevis through developmental stages 46-66 into adulthood by using suction-pipette recording. The dark current increased gradually from approximately 5 pA at stage 46 to approximately 20 pA at stage 57, compared with an adult (metamorphosed) current of approximately 35 pA. This increase in dark current largely paralleled the progressive increase in length and diameter of the rod outer segment (ROS). Throughout stages 46-66, the dark current increased approximately linearly with ROS surface area. At stage 53, there was a steep (approximately 10-fold) increase in the rod flash sensitivity, accompanied by a steep increase in the time-to-peak of the half-saturated flash response. This covariance of sensitivity and time-to-peak suggested a change in the state of adaptation of rods at stage 53 and thereafter. When the isolated retina was preincubated with 11-cis-retinal, the flash sensitivity and the response time-to-peak of rods before stage 53 became similar to those at or after stage 53, suggesting that the presence of free opsin (i.e., visual pigment without chromophore) in rods before stage 53 was responsible for the adapted state (low sensitivity and short time-to-peak). By comparing the response sensitivity before stage 53 to the sensitivity at/after stage 53 measured from rods that had been subjected to various known bleaches, we estimated that 22-28% of rod opsin in stage 50-52 tadpoles (i.e., before stage 53) was devoid of chromophore despite overnight dark-adaptation. When continuously dark adapted for 7 d or longer, however, even tadpoles before stage 53 yielded rods with similar flash sensitivity and response time-to-peak as those of later-stage animals. In conclusion, it appears that chromophore regeneration is very slow in tadpoles before stage 53, but this regeneration becomes much more efficient at stage 53. A similar delay in the maturity of chromophore regeneration may partially underlie the low sensitivity of rods observed in newborn mammals, including human infants.

Identification of 3,4-didehydroretinal isomers in the Xenopus tadpole tail fin containing photosensitive melanophores

It is well characterized that melanophores in the tail fin of Xenopus laevis tadpoles are directly photosensitive. In order to better understand the mechanism underlying this direct photosensitivity, we performed a retinal analysis of the tail fins and eyes of Xenopus tadpoles at stages 51-56 using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Following the extraction of retinoids by the formaldehyde method, a fraction containing retinal and/or 3,4-didehydroretinal isomers from the first HPLC analysis were collected. These isomers were then reduced by sodium borohydride to convert retinal and/or 3,4-didehydroretinal isomers into the corresponding retinol isomers to prepare for a second HPLC analysis. Peaks of 11-cis and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinol were detected in the eyes and tail fins containing melanophores, but they were not detected in the tail fins without melanophores. The amounts of 11-cis and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinol were 27.5 and 5.7 fmol/fin, respectively, and the total quantity of 3,4-didehydroretinal was calculated at approximately 5 x 10(6) molecules/melanophore. These results strongly suggest the presence of 11-cis and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinal in melanophores of the tadpole tail fin, which probably function as the chromophore of photoreceptive molecules.

Photoreceptor classes and transmission at the photoreceptor synapse in the retina of the clawed frog, Xenopus laevis

The photoreceptor population in Xenopus consists of a green-sensitive rod (lambda(max) = 523 nm), a blue-sensitive rod (lambda(max) = 445 nm) and three classes of cone. The largest cone is red-sensitive (lambda(max) = 611 nm). The intermediate cone is presumed to be blue-sensitive based on physiological criteria, whereas the miniature cone may be UV-sensitive. Horizontal cells (HC) are of two sorts: axon-bearing and axonless. The axon-bearing HC is of the luminosity type and probably contacts all types of photoreceptor. The axonless HC is of the chromaticity type and contacts only intermediate (blue) cones and at least one type of rod. During development dendrites of HCs and bipolar neurons penetrate photoreceptor bases. A progressive maturation of HC and bipolar synapses with rods and cones occurs between tadpoles stages 37/8 and 46. Neighboring rods and cones are joined by gap junctions. During this same period, the outer segments are laid down and photopigments synthesized. A linear relation was found between the quantum capturing ability of the rod and its absolute threshold. Mature rods of the Xenopus retina release glutamate in a calcium-dependent manner. Glutamate release was found to be a linear function of calcium influx through L-type calcium channels. Both types of HC possess ionotropic glutamate receptors of the AMPA subtype.

Cloning and expression of a Xenopus short wavelength cone pigment

The short wavelength visual pigment from Xenopus responsible for vision in the blue/violet portion of the spectrum was characterized by sequence spectroscopic analysis. The amino acid sequence was deduced by sequencing clones isolated by reverse transcription PCR, from retinal cDNA and genomic libraries. The gene contains 5 exons spanning 8.4 kb of genomic DNA and produces an mRNA of 2.4 kb in length. The deduced amino acid sequence predicts a protein of 347 amino acids with 76-78% identity to other short wavelength opsins. The mRNA encoding the Xenopus violet pigment was detected using in situ hybridization in cones, comprising a few percent of the total photoreceptors in the adult retina. The Xenopus violet opsin cDNA, modified to contain an epitope from the carboxyl terminus of bovine rhodopsin, was expressed in COS1 cells by transient transfection and analysed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The protein expressed in COS1 cells migrated at 34 kD and was glycosylated at a single site in the amino terminus, exhibiting a diffuse pattern on SDS PAGE similar to bovine rhodopsin expressed in COS1 cells. Following incubation with 11-cis retinal, a light-sensitive pigment was formed with the lambdamax=425+/-2 nm. A Schiff base linkage between retinal and the violet opsin was demonstrated by acid denaturation. Xenopus violet opsin was sensitive to hydroxylamine in the dark, reacting with a half-time of 5 min at room temperature. This is the first group S pigment for amphibians. The pigment was expressed and purified from COS1 cells in a form that has permitted for the first time determination of the extinction coefficient, reactivity to hydroxylamine and presence of a Schiff base.

Vitamin A2-based photopigments within the pineal gland of a fully terrestrial vertebrate

Fully terrestrial vertebrates were previously thought to exclusively employ vitamin A1 to generate visual pigments. However, recent studies on the visual system of the lizard Anolis carolinensis have shown that its visual pigments are vitamin A2-based. This unexpected result prompted an investigation of the pineal photopigments in this species [13]. HPLC analysis has shown that this extraretinal photoreceptor also exclusively utilizes a vitamin A2-derived chromophore. The adaptive significance of this chromophore within the pineal is unclear. The extended long wavelength sensitivity characteristic of vitamin A2-based visual pigment systems may enhance important visual tasks such as prey detection or mate selection [13]. A similar argument cannot be made for the pineal, whose role is not image formation, but rather detection of the irradiance changes associated with dawn and dusk. We suggest that the pineal may passively utilize whatever retinoids have been adaptively selected by the visual system.

Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), a major 124 kDa glycoprotein in the interphotoreceptor matrix of Xenopus laevis. Characterization, molecular cloning and biosynthesis

We have demonstrated that the neural retina of Xenopus laevis secretes into the extracellular matrix surrounding the inner and outer segments of its photoreceptors a glycoprotein containing hydrophobic domains conserved in mammalian interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding proteins (IRBPs). The soluble extract of the interphotoreceptor matrix contains a 124 kDa protein that cross-reacts with anti-bovine IRBP immunoglobulins. In vitro [3H]fucose incorporation studies combined with in vivo light and electron microscopic autoradiographic analysis, showed that the IRBP-like glycoprotein is synthesized by the neural retina and secreted into the interphotoreceptor matrix. A 1.2 kb Xenopus IRBP cDNA was isolated by screening a stage 42 (swimming tadpole) lambda Zap II library with a human IRBP cDNA under low-stringency conditions. The cDNA hybridizes with a 4.2 kb mRNA in adult Xenopus neural retina, tadpole heads as well as a less-abundant mRNA of the same size in brain. During development, IRBP and opsin mRNA expression correlates with photoreceptor differentiation. The translated amino acid sequence of the Xenopus IRBP clone has an overall 70% identity with the fourth repeat of the human protein. Sequence alignment with the four repeats of human IRBP showed three highly conserved regions, rich in hydrophobic residues. This focal conservation predicts domains important to the protein's function, which presumably is to facilitate the exchange of 11-cis retinal and all-trans retinol between the pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, and to the transport of fatty acids through the hydrophilic interphotoreceptor matrix.

Microspectrophotometric determinations of rod visual pigments in some adult and larval Australian amphibians

Visual pigments from the red rods of adults of eight species of Australian anuran amphibians, from a variety of habitats, were analyzed by microspectrophotometry. The lambda max in all cases fell between 502 nm and 506 nm, and the absorption spectra were well fitted by an A1-based visual pigment template curve. Red rod pigments were also analyzed for a number of tadpoles. In some cases the data were best fitted with an A1-based visual pigment template, in other cases with an A2-based template, and finally some tadpoles appeared to have mixtures of the two pigments.

Metamorphosis of the amphibian eye

For many metamorphosing amphibians, the visual system must remain functional as the animal changes from an aquatic to a terrestrial habitat. Thyroid hormone, the trigger for metamorphosis, brings about changes at all levels of the animal, and profoundly alters the visual system, from cellular changes within the eye to new central connections subserving the binocular vision that develops during metamorphosis in some species. I will survey the alterations in the visual system in the metamorphosis of several Amphibian groups, and consider the role of thyroid hormone in bringing about these transformations through action at the molecular level.

Formation of visual pigment chromophores during the development of Xenopus laevis

Retinoids in the eyes of Xenopus laevis at several developmental stages, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At stage 37/38, larval eyes contained mainly all-trans isomers of retinal, 3-dehydroretinal, retinyl ester and 3-dehydroretinyl ester. Ratios of all-trans 3-dehydroretinal to retinal and of all-trans 3-dehydroretinyl ester to retinyl ester were almost 1 at the stage. With the advance of development, the amounts of all-trans retinal and 3-dehydroretinal decreased; however, those of all-trans retinyl ester and 3-dehydroretinyl ester increased. The chromophores of visual pigments, 11-cis retinal and 3-dehydroretinal, were detected at stage 40 (total; 0.2 pmol/eye) and their amounts increased after that stage. The ratio of 11-cis 3-dehydroretinal to retinal was almost 1 at stages 40-42. The ratio became larger after stage 43 and was almost 19 at stage 46. The ratio of all-trans 3-dehydroretinyl ester to retinyl ester, also, increased after stage 42 and reached 11 at stage 46. The mechanism of 11-cis formation during development is discussed in relation to retinoid conversions in the eyes.

Larval and adult visual pigments of the zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio

Photoreceptors of adult and larval zebrafish were assayed by microspectrophotometry to characterize their visual pigments, and to determine when the visual pigments first appear during development. Short single cone outer segments contained a pigment with a lambdamax near 417 nm. Long single cones and long members of double cone outer segments contained a pigment with a lambdamax near 480 nm. Short members of double cone outer segments contained a pigment with a lambdamax near 556 nm. Rod outer segments contained a rhodopsin with a lambdamax near 501 nm. All four visual pigment types found in adult photoreceptors were present in the earliest measurable larval photoreceptors.

Use of high-performance liquid chromatography in the analysis of retinyl and 3,4-didehydroretinyl compounds in tissue extracts of bullfrog tadpoles and goldfish

HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) was used to analyse retinyl and 3,4-didehydroretinyl compounds in tissue extracts from goldfish and bullfrog tadpoles. Using silica columns (packed with 10-micron mu Porasil or 5-micron Ultrasphere particles) eluted with n-hexane (containing a small amount of dioxane or diethyl ether), the authentic all-trans retinyl and 3,4-didehydroretinyl palmitates, retinal and 3,4-didehydroretinal, retinol and 3,4-didehydroretinol were completely separated. Liver and eye extracts of the goldfish and bullfrog tadpoles had mainly esterified all-trans retinol and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinol. In the liver, these vitamin A were conjugated to a number of fatty acids whereas in the eye, principally one fatty acid was used. Moreover, the relative proportions of all-trans retinol and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinol (obtained by analysing the saponified esters) were significantly different between some of these body compartments.

Two populations of rod photoreceptors in the retina of Xenopus laevis identified with 3H-fucose autoradiography

The retina of Xenopus laevis contains two populations of rod photoreceptors that differ in their utilization of L-fucose. Following intraperitoneal injections with 3H-fucose, all rod and cone photoreceptors incorporate the label. One day after labeling, much of the radioactivity is associated with the photoreceptor outer segments. In rods, a band of radioactivity is initially located at the base of the outer segment. As the time interval between injection and recovery is extended, the band of radioactivity is progressively displaced toward the outer segment tip. When the autoradiography exposure times are reduced so that cone and most rod outer segments no longer appear labeled, a minor population of rod photoreceptors can be distinguished which remains heavily labeled. The outer segment of the principal rod is 29.8 +/- 0.6 micrometers long and 6.4 +/- 0.6 micrometers in diameter, whereas the outer segment of the minor rod is 19.7 +/- 3.4 micrometers long and 4.5 +/- 0.6 micrometers in diameter, the latter accounting for approximately 2-3% of the total rod photoreceptor population. The rate of 3H-band displacement is 2-fold greater in the minor rod outer segment than the renewal rate of the outer segment in the principal rod. The similarity in relative cell density and size of the minor rod suggests that this photoreceptor corresponds to the blue-sensitive rod of Xenopus recently described by Witkovsky et al. (1981a, b), Vision Res. 21, 863-867, 875-883).

Seasonal variation of the vitamin A2-based visual pigment in the retina of adult bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

Visual pigment composition was determined by HPLC analysis over a one-year period in the adult bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). In Japan, the vitamin A2-based pigment was only 5% of the total visual pigment from the middle of July to October. The vitamin A2-based pigment increased in November and reached a maximum of 32-36% between January and June. This seasonal variation may relate to the average of outdoor temperature rather than the daylight hours. The amount of vitamin A2-based pigment began to increase when the average temperature became lower than 20 degrees C and it decreased rapidly as the average temperature was higher than 20 degrees C.

Intracellular recording from identified photoreceptors and horizontal cells of the Xenopus retina

Intracellular recordings were made from rods, cones and horizontal cells of the Xenopus retina. The cells under study were identified by injection of the fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow. Rod spectral sensitivity peaked near 524 nm, that of cones near 612 nm whereas horizontal cells reflected input from both these classes of photoreceptors. No intracellular recordings were made from blue-sensitive rods (lambda max = 445 nm) nor did this rod appear to provide an input to the horizontal cell. Under dark-adapted conditions, horizontal cells had a slow waveform, a Vmax less than or equal to 18 mV and were driven by 524 nm rods only. When light-adapted, horizontal cell responses were fast, Vmax was 30-40 mV and the responses reflected only 612 nm cone input. In the mesopic state rod and cone inputs to the horizontal cell interacted non-linearly: weak green backgrounds greatly enhanced the response to a superimposed red flash compared to the red flash response on a dark field. The length constant of the horizontal cell exceeded its dendritic arbor by 2-15 fold. All of the stained horizontal cells, however, possessed a long slender axon without a terminal but which emitted periodic short branches that appeared to contact receptors.

Blue-sensitive rod input to bipolar and ganglion cells of the Xenopus retina

Intracellular recordings were obtained from chromatic and non-chromatic bipolar cells, identified by Lucifer yellow injection in the Xenopus retina. The chromatic cells, which lacked center-surround organization, were short wavelength hyperpolarizing (lambda max 445 nm) and long wavelength depolarizing. Under photopic conditions the depolarizing component was driven by 612 nm cones, but under mesopic conditions it appeared that 524 nm rods also constituted an input to the response. The non-chromatic bipolars encountered were of the off-center (hyperpolarizing) variety, with an active antagonistic surround, and peak spectral sensitivity in the red portion of the spectrum. Extracellular recordings were obtained from color-coded ganglion cells classified as type 1 or 2 in frog retina by Maturana et al. (1966) [J. gen. Physiol. 43, 129-175] and Bäckström and Reuter (1975) [J. Physiol. 246, 79-107]. The spectral sensitivity of the long latency "on" component was matched by the density spectrum of the 445 nm rod. This response component lacked center-surround organization and showed a relatively broad area of spatial integration. In contrast, a short latency component had a spectral sensitivity matched by the 612 nm cone pigment under photopic conditions, was either "on" or "off" center, showed center-surround organization and had a relatively small area of spatial integration. We speculate that in Xenopus retina, both chromatic and non-chromatic bipolar cells provide synaptic input to the class 1,2 ganglion cell.

Rod sensitivity and visual pigment concentration in Xenopus

Xenopus larvae were raised on a vitamin A-free diet under constant illumination until their visual pigment content had decreased to between 8% of normal and an undetectably low level. After the intramuscular injection of 2.1 X 10(13-2.1 X 10(16) molecules of [3H]vitamin A, ocular tissue showed a rapid rate of uptake of label which reached a maximum level of incorporation by 48 h. Light-microscopic autoradiography revealed that the retinal uptake of label was concentrated within the receptor outer segments. Spectral transmissivity measurements at various times after injection were made upon intact retinas and upon digitonin extracts. They showed that visual pigment with a lambdamax of 504 nm was formed in the retina and that the amount formed was a function of incubation time and the magnitude of the dose administered. Electrophysiological measures of photoreceptor light responses were obtained from the PIII component of the electroretinogram, isolated with aspartate. The quantal flux required to elicit a criterion response was determined and related to the fraction of visual pigment present. The results showed that rod sensitivity varied linearly with the probability of quantal absorption.

Changes in length and disk shedding rate of Xenopus rod outer segments associated with metamorphosis

Histological examination of the retinae of Xenopus tadpoles undergoing the extensive transformations of metamorphic climax revealed a progressive and dramatic decrease in the length of rod outer segments (r. o. s.) (by 1.22 µm/day), which was reversed after the completion of metamorphosis, when r. o. s. grew longer (by 1.11 µm/day). The rate of r. o. s. disk addition during these two periods was determined by examining the incorporation of [ 3 H]-leucine by light microscopic autoradiography. The band of labelled protein in r. o. s. was displaced sclerally at a rate of 1.70 µm/day during the first half of metamorphic climax, and of 1.56 µm/day in young juveniles during the second month after metamorphosis. The similarity of the rate of band displacement at these times indicates that the changes in r. o. s. length associated with metamorphosis result from major changes in the rate of disk shedding and/or phagocytosis, which was about 2.92 µm/day pre-metamorphically and 0.45 µm/day post-metamorphically. E. m. observation at these stages and during the final stages of metamorphic climax revealed no significant alterations in the cellular organization or ultrastructure of rods or pigment epithelium, even though some r. o. s. were only 3 µm long. This large change in r. o. s. length undoubtedly influences the animal’s scotopic sensitivity and the relative mesopic activity of its rods and cones, and may have important effects on the animal’s visual physiology.

The photoreceptors and pigment epithelim of the adult Xenopus retina: morphology and outer segment renewal

Outer segment renewal and the fine structure of photoreceptors and pigment epithelium (p. e.) were studied in the adult Xenopus retina by light microscopic autoradiography and electron microscopy. Following the injection of [ 3 H]leucine, the pattern of labelling observed in receptor outer segments was typical of that reported in other adult retinae: only diffuse labelling was found in cones, but in rods a discrete band of label accumulated at the base of the outer segment and migrated sclerally with time. The rate of band displacement and thus disk addition in Xenopus rods was 1.86 μm/day (or 78 disks/day), which is more than twice that reported for red rods in Rana under similar experimental conditions, although these species have similar metabolic rates. Average rod outer segment (r. o. s.) length did not change, demonstrating a balance between disk addition and shedding. R. o. s. renewal time was about 24 days, corresponding to the time when labelled phagosomes were first found in the p. e. Ultrastructurally, one kind of (red) rod and one kind of cone were found whose outer segments differed in membrane topology. Although microfilaments were found in the apical processes of the p. e. and its cytoplasm contained both pigment granules and myeloid bodies, pigment granules did not migrate into these processes during light adaptation. In addition to possible morphological evidence for phago­somes of cone origin, both large and small rod phagosomes were observed in the p. e. The latter appear to represent small stacks of partial disks shed from individual r. o. s. scallops.