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Liu Y, Ng L, Liu H, Heuer H, Forrest D. Cone photoreceptor differentiation regulated by thyroid hormone transporter MCT8 in the retinal pigment epithelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2402560121. [PMID: 39018199 PMCID: PMC11287251 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402560121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The key role of a thyroid hormone receptor in determining the maturation and diversity of cone photoreceptors reflects a profound influence of endocrine signaling on the cells that mediate color vision. However, the route by which hormone reaches cones remains enigmatic as cones reside in the retinal photoreceptor layer, shielded by the blood-retina barrier. Using genetic approaches, we report that cone differentiation is regulated by a membrane transporter for thyroid hormone, MCT8 (SLC16A2), in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which forms the outer blood-retina barrier. Mct8-deficient mice display hypothyroid-like cone gene expression and compromised electroretinogram responses. Mammalian color vision is typically facilitated by cone types that detect medium-long (M) and short (S) wavelengths of light but Mct8-deficient mice have a partial shift of M to S cone identity, resembling the phenotype of thyroid hormone receptor deficiency. RPE-specific ablation of Mct8 results in similar shifts in cone identity and hypothyroid-like gene expression whereas reexpression of MCT8 in the RPE in Mct8-deficient mice partly restores M cone identity, consistent with paracrine-like control of thyroid hormone signaling by the RPE. Our findings suggest that in addition to transport of essential solutes and homeostatic support for photoreceptors, the RPE regulates the thyroid hormone signal that promotes cone-mediated vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Liu
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Lily Ng
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Hong Liu
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Heike Heuer
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen45147, Germany
| | - Douglas Forrest
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
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2
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Kawashima R, Matsushita K, Mandai K, Sugita Y, Maruo T, Mizutani K, Midoh Y, Oguchi A, Murakawa Y, Kuniyoshi K, Sato R, Furukawa T, Nishida K, Takai Y. Necl-1/CADM3 regulates cone synapse formation in the mouse retina. iScience 2024; 27:109577. [PMID: 38623325 PMCID: PMC11016759 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, retinal neural circuitry for visual perception is organized in specific layers. The outer plexiform layer is the first synaptic region in the visual pathway, where photoreceptor synaptic terminals connect with bipolar and horizontal cell processes. However, molecular mechanisms underlying cone synapse formation to mediate OFF pathways remain unknown. This study reveals that Necl-1/CADM3 is localized at S- and S/M-opsin-containing cones and dendrites of type 4 OFF cone bipolar cells (CBCs). In Necl-1-/- mouse retina, synapses between cones and type 4 OFF CBCs were dislocated, horizontal cell distribution became abnormal, and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors were dislocated. Necl-1-/- mice exhibited aberrant short-wavelength-light-elicited signal transmission from cones to OFF CBCs, which was rescued by AMPA receptor potentiator. Additionally, Necl-1-/- mice showed impaired optokinetic responses. These findings suggest that Necl-1 regulates cone synapse formation to mediate OFF cone pathways elicited by short-wavelength light in mouse retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumi Kawashima
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsushita
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kenji Mandai
- Division of Pathogenetic Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
| | - Yuko Sugita
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Maruo
- Division of Pathogenetic Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
| | - Kiyohito Mizutani
- Division of Pathogenetic Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Division of Pathogenetic Signaling, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Midoh
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Akiko Oguchi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, IMS RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Murakawa
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, IMS RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kazuki Kuniyoshi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan
| | - Ryohei Sato
- Forefront Research Center for Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Takahisa Furukawa
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kohji Nishida
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Takai
- Division of Pathogenetic Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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3
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Kim YJ, Packer O, Pollreisz A, Martin PR, Grünert U, Dacey DM. Comparative connectomics reveals noncanonical wiring for color vision in human foveal retina. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300545120. [PMID: 37098066 PMCID: PMC10160961 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300545120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Old World macaque monkey and New World common marmoset provide fundamental models for human visual processing, yet the human ancestral lineage diverged from these monkey lineages over 25 Mya. We therefore asked whether fine-scale synaptic wiring in the nervous system is preserved across these three primate families, despite long periods of independent evolution. We applied connectomic electron microscopy to the specialized foveal retina where circuits for highest acuity and color vision reside. Synaptic motifs arising from the cone photoreceptor type sensitive to short (S) wavelengths and associated with "blue-yellow" (S-ON and S-OFF) color-coding circuitry were reconstructed. We found that distinctive circuitry arises from S cones for each of the three species. The S cones contacted neighboring L and M (long- and middle-wavelength sensitive) cones in humans, but such contacts were rare or absent in macaques and marmosets. We discovered a major S-OFF pathway in the human retina and established its absence in marmosets. Further, the S-ON and S-OFF chromatic pathways make excitatory-type synaptic contacts with L and M cone types in humans, but not in macaques or marmosets. Our results predict that early-stage chromatic signals are distinct in the human retina and imply that solving the human connectome at the nanoscale level of synaptic wiring will be critical for fully understanding the neural basis of human color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon Jin Kim
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Orin Packer
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Andreas Pollreisz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna1090, Austria
| | - Paul R. Martin
- Save Sight Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW2000, Australia
| | - Ulrike Grünert
- Save Sight Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW2000, Australia
| | - Dennis M. Dacey
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
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4
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Liu H, Lu A, Kelley KA, Forrest D. Noncoding Mutations in a Thyroid Hormone Receptor Gene That Impair Cone Photoreceptor Function. Endocrinology 2023; 164:6984996. [PMID: 36631163 PMCID: PMC10091487 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The function of a hormone receptor requires mechanisms to control precisely where, when, and at what level the receptor gene is expressed. An intriguing case concerns the selective induction of thyroid hormone receptor β2 (TRβ2), encoded by Thrb, in the pituitary and also in cone photoreceptors, in which it critically regulates expression of the opsin photopigments that mediate color vision. Here, we investigate the physiological significance of a candidate enhancer for induction of TRβ2 by mutagenesis of a conserved intron region in its natural context in the endogenous Thrb gene in mice. Mutation of e-box sites for bHLH (basic-helix-loop-helix) transcription factors preferentially impairs TRβ2 expression in cones whereas mutation of nearby sequences preferentially impairs expression in pituitary. A deletion encompassing all sites impairs expression in both tissues, indicating bifunctional activity. In cones, the e-box mutations disrupt chromatin acetylation, blunt the developmental induction of TRβ2, and ultimately impair cone opsin expression and sensitivity to longer wavelengths of light. These results demonstrate the necessity of studying an enhancer in its natural chromosomal context for defining biological relevance and reveal surprisingly critical nuances of level and timing of enhancer function. Our findings illustrate the influence of noncoding sequences over thyroid hormone functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- NIDDK, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ailing Lu
- NIDDK, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kevin A Kelley
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Douglas Forrest
- NIDDK, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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5
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Ng L, Liu H, Liu Y, Forrest D. Biphasic expression of thyroid hormone receptor TRβ1 in mammalian retina and anterior ocular tissues. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1174600. [PMID: 37033230 PMCID: PMC10076699 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1174600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The retina is increasingly recognized as a target of thyroid hormone. We previously reported critical functions for thyroid hormone receptor TRβ2, encoded by Thrb, in cones, the photoreceptors that mediate color vision. TRβ1, another Thrb receptor isoform, is widely expressed in other tissues but little studied in the retina. Here, we investigate these N-terminal isoforms by RNA-sequencing analysis and reveal a striking biphasic profile for TRβ1 in mouse and human retina. In contrast to the early TRβ2 peak, TRβ1 peaks later during retinal maturation or later differentiation of human retinal organoids. This switch in receptor expression profiles was confirmed using lacZ reporter mice. TRβ1 localized in cones, amacrine cells and ganglion cells in contrast to the restricted expression of TRβ2 in cones. Intriguingly, TRβ1 was also detected in the retinal pigmented epithelium and in anterior structures in the ciliary margin zone, ciliary body and iris, suggesting novel functions in non-retinal eye tissues. Although TRβ1 was detected in cones, TRβ1-knockout mice displayed only minor changes in opsin photopigment expression and normal electroretinogram responses. Our results suggest that strikingly different temporal and cell-specific controls over TRβ1 and TRβ2 expression may underlie thyroid hormone actions in a range of ocular cell types. The TRβ1 expression pattern suggests novel functions in retinal and non-neural ocular tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Ng
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hong Liu
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ye Liu
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Douglas Forrest
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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6
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Tian R, Guo H, Jin Z, Zhang F, Zhao J, Seim I. Molecular evolution of vision-related genes may contribute to marsupial photic niche adaptations. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.982073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vision plays an essential role in the life of many animals. While most mammals are night-active (nocturnal), many have adapted to novel light environments. This includes diurnal (day-active) and crepuscular (twilight-active) species. Here, we used integrative approaches to investigate the molecular evolution of 112 vision-related genes across 19 genomes representing most marsupial orders. We found that four genes (GUCA1B, GUCY2F, RGR, and SWS2) involved in retinal phototransduction likely became functionally redundant in the ancestor of marsupials, a group of largely obligate nocturnal mammals. We also show evidence of rapid evolution and positive selection of bright-light vision genes in the common ancestor of Macropus (kangaroos, wallaroos, and wallabies). Macropus-specific amino acid substitutions in opsin genes (LWS and SWS1), in particular, may be an adaptation for crepuscular vision in this genus via opsin spectral sensitivity tuning. Our study set the stage for functional genetics studies and provides a stepping stone to future research efforts that fully capture the visual repertoire of marsupials.
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7
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Nagloo N, Mountford JK, Gundry BJ, Hart NS, Davies WIL, Collin SP, Hemmi JM. Enhanced short-wavelength sensitivity in the blue-tongued skink, Tiliqua rugosa. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275680. [PMID: 35582824 PMCID: PMC9234500 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite lizards using a wide range of color signals, the limited variation in photoreceptor spectral sensitivities across lizards suggests only weak selection for species-specific, spectral tuning of photoreceptors. Some species, however, have enhanced short wavelength sensitivity, which likely helps with the detection of signals rich in ultraviolet and short wavelengths. In this study, we examined the visual system of Tiliqua rugosa, which has a UV/blue tongue, to gain insight into this species' visual ecology. We used electroretinograms, opsin sequencing and immunohistochemical labelling to characterize whole eye spectral sensitivity and the elements that shape it. Our findings reveal that T. rugosa expresses all five opsins typically found in lizards (SWS1, SWS2, RH1, RH2 and LWS) but possesses greatly enhanced short wavelength sensitivity compared to other diurnal lizards. This enhanced short wavelength sensitivity is characterized by a broadening of the spectral sensitivity curve of the eye towards shorter wavelengths while the peak sensitivity of the eye at longer wavelengths (560 nm) remains similar to other diurnal lizards. While an increased abundance of SWS1 photoreceptors is thought to mediate elevated ultraviolet sensitivity in a couple of other lizard species, SWS1 photoreceptor abundance remains low in our species. Instead, our findings suggest that short-wavelength sensitivity is driven by multiple factors which include a potentially red-shifted SWS1 photoreceptor and the absence of short-wavelength absorbing oil droplets. Examining the coincidence of enhanced short-wavelength sensitivity with blue tongues among lizards of this genus will provide further insight into the co-evolution of conspecific signals and whole-eye spectral sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Nagloo
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, S-212263, Sweden.,The UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia
| | - Jessica K Mountford
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,The UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Clinical Genetics and Epidemiology, and Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science incorporating the Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia
| | - Ben J Gundry
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia
| | - Nathan S Hart
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109 NSW, Australia
| | - Wayne I L Davies
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,The UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Clinical Genetics and Epidemiology, and Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science incorporating the Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine (UCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, S-90187, Sweden.,School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Shaun P Collin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,The UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,Clinical Genetics and Epidemiology, and Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science incorporating the Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Jan M Hemmi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia.,The UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia
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8
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Gower DJ, Fleming JF, Pisani D, Vonk FJ, Kerkkamp HMI, Peichl L, Meimann S, Casewell NR, Henkel CV, Richardson MK, Sanders KL, Simões BF. Eye-Transcriptome and Genome-Wide Sequencing for Scolecophidia: Implications for Inferring the Visual System of the Ancestral Snake. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6430116. [PMID: 34791190 PMCID: PMC8643396 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular genetic data have recently been incorporated in attempts to reconstruct the ecology of the ancestral snake, though this has been limited by a paucity of data for one of the two main extant snake taxa, the highly fossorial Scolecophidia. Here we present and analyze vision genes from the first eye-transcriptomic and genome-wide data for Scolecophidia, for Anilios bicolor, and A. bituberculatus, respectively. We also present immunohistochemistry data for retinal anatomy and visual opsin-gene expression in Anilios. Analyzed in the context of 19 lepidosaurian genomes and 12 eye transcriptomes, the new genome-wide and transcriptomic data provide evidence for a much more reduced visual system in Anilios than in non-scolecophidian (=alethinophidian) snakes and in lizards. In Anilios, there is no evidence of the presence of 7 of the 12 genes associated with alethinophidian photopic (cone) phototransduction. This indicates extensive gene loss and many of these candidate gene losses occur also in highly fossorial mammals with reduced vision. Although recent phylogenetic studies have found evidence for scolecophidian paraphyly, the loss in Anilios of visual genes that are present in alethinophidians implies that the ancestral snake had a better-developed visual system than is known for any extant scolecophidian.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Gower
- Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - James F Fleming
- School of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Davide Pisani
- School of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Leo Peichl
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sonja Meimann
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Christiaan V Henkel
- Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Kate L Sanders
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bruno F Simões
- School of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
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9
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Liu YV, Teng D, Konar GJ, Agakishiev D, Biggs-Garcia A, Harris-Bookman S, McNally MM, Garzon C, Sastry S, Singh MS. Characterization and allogeneic transplantation of a novel transgenic cone-rich donor mouse line. Exp Eye Res 2021; 210:108715. [PMID: 34343570 PMCID: PMC8429259 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cone photoreceptor transplantation is a potential treatment for macular diseases. The optimal conditions for cone transplantation are poorly understood, partly because of the scarcity of cones in donor mice. To facilitate allogeneic cone photoreceptor transplantation studies in mice, we aimed to create and characterize a donor mouse model containing a cone-rich retina with a cone-specific enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter. METHODS We generated OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- mice by crossing NRL-/- and OPN1LW-EGFP mice. We characterized the anatomical phenotype of OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- mice using multimodal confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) imaging, immunohistology, and transmission electron microscopy. We evaluated retinal function using electroretinography (ERG), including 465 and 525 nm chromatic stimuli. Retinal sheets and cell suspensions from OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- mice were transplanted subretinally into immunodeficient Rd1 mice. RESULTS OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- retinas were enriched with OPN1LW-EGFP+ and S-opsin+ cone photoreceptors in a dorsal-ventral distribution gradient. Cone photoreceptors co-expressing OPNL1W-EGFP and S-opsin significantly increased in OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- compared to OPN1LW-EGFP mice. Temporal dynamics of rosette formation in the OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- were similar as the NRL-/- with peak formation at P15. Rosettes formed preferentially in the ventral retina. The outer retina in P35 OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- was thinner than NRL-/- controls. The OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- ERG response amplitudes to 465 nm stimulation were similar to, but to 535 nm stimulation were lower than, NRL-/- controls. Three months after transplantation, the suspension grafts showed greater macroscopic degradation than sheet grafts. Retinal sheet grafts from OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- mice showed greater S-opsin + cone survival than suspension grafts from the same strain. CONCLUSIONS OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL-/- retinae were enriched with S-opsin+ photoreceptors. Sustained expression of EGFP facilitated the longitudinal tracking of transplanted donor cells. Transplantation of cone-rich retinal grafts harvested prior to peak rosette formation survived and differentiated into cone photoreceptor subtypes. Photoreceptor sheet transplantation may promote greater macroscopic graft integrity and S-opsin+ cone survival than cell suspension transplantation, although the mechanism underlying this observation is unclear at present. This novel cone-rich reporter mouse strain may be useful to study the influence of graft structure on cone survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying V Liu
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Derek Teng
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gregory J Konar
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dzhalal Agakishiev
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexis Biggs-Garcia
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Harris-Bookman
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Minda M McNally
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Catalina Garzon
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Saalini Sastry
- Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mandeep S Singh
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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10
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Pinzon-Rodriguez A, Muheim R. Cryptochrome expression in avian UV cones: revisiting the role of CRY1 as magnetoreceptor. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12683. [PMID: 34135416 PMCID: PMC8209128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92056-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes (CRY) have been proposed as putative magnetoreceptors in vertebrates. Localisation of CRY1 in the UV cones in the retinas of birds suggested that it could be the candidate magnetoreceptor. However, recent findings argue against this possibility. CRY1 is a type II cryptochrome, a subtype of cryptochromes that may not be inherently photosensitive, and it exhibits a clear circadian expression in the retinas of birds. Here, we reassessed the localisation and distribution of CRY1 in the retina of the zebra finch. Zebra finches have a light-dependent magnetic compass based on a radical-pair mechanism, similar to migratory birds. We found that CRY1 colocalised with the UV/V opsin (SWS1) in the outer segments of UV cones, but restricted to the tip of the segments. CRY1 was found in all UV cones across the entire retina, with the highest densities near the fovea. Pre-exposure of birds to different wavelengths of light did not result in any difference in CRY1 detection, suggesting that CRY1 did not undergo any detectable functional changes as result of light activation. Considering that CRY1 is likely not involved in magnetoreception, our findings open the possibility for an involvement in different, yet undetermined functions in the avian UV/V cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atticus Pinzon-Rodriguez
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building B, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Rachel Muheim
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building B, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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11
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Hauser FE, Ilves KL, Schott RK, Alvi E, López-Fernández H, Chang BSW. Evolution, inactivation and loss of short wavelength-sensitive opsin genes during the diversification of Neotropical cichlids. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1688-1703. [PMID: 33569886 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Natural variation in the number, expression and function of sensory genes in an organism's genome is often tightly linked to different ecological and evolutionary forces. Opsin genes, which code for the first step in visual transduction, are ideal models for testing how ecological factors such as light environment may influence visual system adaptation. Neotropical cichlid fishes are a highly ecologically diverse group that evolved in a variety of aquatic habitats, including black (stained), white (opaque) and clear waters. We used cross-species exon capture to sequence Neotropical cichlid short wavelength-sensitive (SWS) opsins, which mediate ultraviolet (UV) to blue visual sensitivity. Neotropical cichlid SWS1 opsin (UV-sensitive) underwent a relaxation of selective constraint during the early phases of cichlid diversification in South America, leading to pseudogenization and loss. Conversely, SWS2a (blue-sensitive) experienced a burst of episodic positive selection at the base of the South American cichlid radiation. This burst coincides with SWS1 relaxation and loss, and is consistent with findings in ecomorphological studies characterizing a period of extensive ecological divergence in Neotropical cichlids. We use ancestral sequence reconstruction and protein modelling to investigate mutations along this ancestral branch that probably modified SWS2a function. Together, our results suggest that variable light environments played a prominent early role in shaping SWS opsin diversity during the Neotropical cichlid radiation. Our results also illustrate that long-term evolution under light-limited conditions in South America may have reduced visual system plasticity; specifically, early losses of UV sensitivity may have constrained the evolutionary trajectory of Neotropical cichlid vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Hauser
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katriina L Ilves
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan K Schott
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Erin Alvi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hernán López-Fernández
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Belinda S W Chang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Semenov EP, Sheplock R, Roman AJ, McGuigan DB, Swider M, Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG. Reading Performance in Blue Cone Monochromacy: Defining an Outcome Measure for a Clinical Trial. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:13. [PMID: 33344057 PMCID: PMC7726588 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.13.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Blue cone monochromacy (BCM), a congenital X-linked retinal disease caused by mutations in the OPN1LW/OPN1MW gene cluster, is under consideration for intravitreal gene therapy. Difficulties with near vision tasks experienced by these patients prompted this study of reading performance as a potential outcome measure for a future clinical trial. Methods Clinically and molecularly diagnosed patients with BCM (n = 17; ages 15–63 years) and subjects with normal vision (n = 22; ages 18–72 years) were examined with the MNREAD acuity chart for both uniocular and binocular conditions. Parameters derived from the measurements in patients were compared with normal data and also within the group of patients. Intersession, interocular and between-subject variabilities were determined. The frequent complaint of light sensitivity in BCM was examined by comparing results from black text on a white background (regular polarity) versus white on black (reverse polarity) conditions. Results MNREAD curves of print size versus reading speed were right-shifted compared with normal in all patients with BCM. All parameters in patients with BCM indicated abnormal reading performance. Intersession variability was slightly higher in BCM than in normal, but comparable with results previously reported for other patients with maculopathies. There was a high degree of disease symmetry in reading performance in this BCM cohort. Reverse polarity showed better reading parameters than regular polarity in 82% of the patients. Conclusions MNREAD measures of reading performance in patients with BCM would be a worthy and robust secondary outcome in a clinical trial protocol, given its dual purpose of quantifying macular vision and addressing an important quality of life issue. Translational Relevance Assessment of an outcome for a clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn P Semenov
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca Sheplock
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alejandro J Roman
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David B McGuigan
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Malgorzata Swider
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samuel G Jacobson
- Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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13
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Seiko T, Kishida T, Toyama M, Hariyama T, Okitsu T, Wada A, Toda M, Satta Y, Terai Y. Visual adaptation of opsin genes to the aquatic environment in sea snakes. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:158. [PMID: 33243140 PMCID: PMC7690139 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01725-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evolutionary transitions from terrestrial to aquatic life history cause drastic changes in sensory systems. Indeed, the drastic changes in vision have been reported in many aquatic amniotes, convergently. Recently, the opsin genes of the full-aquatic sea snakes have been reported. However, those of the amphibious sea snakes have not been examined in detail. RESULTS Here, we investigated opsin genes and visual pigments of sea snakes. We determined the sequences of SWS1, LWS, and RH1 genes from one terrestrial, three amphibious and four fully-aquatic elapids. Amino acid replacements at four and one spectra-tuning positions were found in LWS and RH1, respectively. We measured or predicted absorption of LWS and RH1 pigments with A1-derived retinal. During their evolution, blue shifts of LWS pigments have occurred stepwise in amphibious sea snakes and convergently in both amphibious and fully-aquatic species. CONCLUSIONS Blue shifted LWS pigments may have adapted to deep water or open water environments dominated by blue light. The evolution of opsins differs between marine mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds) and sea snakes in two fundamental ways: (1) pseudogenization of opsins in marine mammals; and (2) large blue shifts of LWS pigments in sea snakes. It may be possible to explain these two differences at the level of photoreceptor cell composition given that cone and rod cells both exist in mammals whereas only cone cells exist in fully-aquatic sea snakes. We hypothesize that the differences in photoreceptor cell compositions may have differentially affected the evolution of opsins in divergent amniote lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Seiko
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193 Japan
| | - Takushi Kishida
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8203 Japan
| | - Mina Toyama
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handayama, Hamamatsu Japan
| | - Takahiko Hariyama
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handayama, Hamamatsu Japan
| | - Takashi Okitsu
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1, Motoyamakita, Higashinada, Kobe, 658-8558 Japan
| | - Akimori Wada
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1, Motoyamakita, Higashinada, Kobe, 658-8558 Japan
| | - Mamoru Toda
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Yoko Satta
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193 Japan
| | - Yohey Terai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193 Japan
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14
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Mantovani V, Hauzman E, Corredor VH, Goulart PRK, Galvão O, Talebi M, Pessoa DMA, Soares JGM, Fiorani M, Gattass R, Fix Ventura D, Bonci DMO. Genetic variability of the sws1 cone opsin gene among New World monkeys. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23199. [PMID: 32990997 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Vision is a major sense for Primates and the ability to perceive colors has great importance for the species ecology and behavior. Visual processing begins with the activation of the visual opsins in the retina, and the spectral absorption peaks are highly variable among species. In most Primates, LWS/MWS opsins are responsible for sensitivity to long/middle wavelengths within the visible light spectrum, and SWS1 opsins provide sensitivity to short wavelengths, in the violet region of the spectrum. In this study, we aimed to investigate the genetic variation on the sws1 opsin gene of New World monkeys (NWM) and search for amino acid substitutions that might be associated with the different color vision phenotypes described for a few species. We sequenced the exon 1 of the sws1 opsin gene of seven species from the families Callitrichidae, Cebidae, and Atelidae, and searched for variation at the spectral tuning sites 46, 49, 52, 86, 90, 93, 114, 116, and 118. Among the known spectral tuning sites, only residue 114 was variable. To investigate whether other residues have a functional role in the SWS1 absorption peak, we performed computational modeling of wild-type SWS1 and mutants A50I and A50V, found naturally among the species investigated. Although in silico analysis did not show any visible effect caused by these substitutions, it is possible that interactions of residue 50 with other sites might have some effect in the spectral shifts in the order of ~14 nm, found among the NWM. We also performed phylogenetic reconstruction of the sws1 gene, which partially recovered the species phylogeny. Further studies will be important to uncover the mutations responsible for the phenotypic variability of the SWS1 of NWM, and how spectral tuning may be associated with specific ecological features such as preferred food items and habitat use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviani Mantovani
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Einat Hauzman
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vitor H Corredor
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo R K Goulart
- Núcleo de Teoria de Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Olavo Galvão
- Núcleo de Teoria de Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Talebi
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Campus Diadema, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel M A Pessoa
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Juliana G M Soares
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mario Fiorani
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Gattass
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Dora Fix Ventura
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela M O Bonci
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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15
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Singh RK, Nasonkin IO. Limitations and Promise of Retinal Tissue From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Developing Therapies of Blindness. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:179. [PMID: 33132839 PMCID: PMC7513806 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The self-formation of retinal tissue from pluripotent stem cells generated a tremendous promise for developing new therapies of retinal degenerative diseases, which previously seemed unattainable. Together with use of induced pluripotent stem cells or/and CRISPR-based recombineering the retinal organoid technology provided an avenue for developing models of human retinal degenerative diseases "in a dish" for studying the pathology, delineating the mechanisms and also establishing a platform for large-scale drug screening. At the same time, retinal organoids, highly resembling developing human fetal retinal tissue, are viewed as source of multipotential retinal progenitors, young photoreceptors and just the whole retinal tissue, which may be transplanted into the subretinal space with a goal of replacing patient's degenerated retina with a new retinal "patch." Both approaches (transplantation and modeling/drug screening) were projected when Yoshiki Sasai demonstrated the feasibility of deriving mammalian retinal tissue from pluripotent stem cells, and generated a lot of excitement. With further work and testing of both approaches in vitro and in vivo, a major implicit limitation has become apparent pretty quickly: the absence of the uniform layer of Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) cells, which is normally present in mammalian retina, surrounds photoreceptor layer and develops and matures first. The RPE layer polarize into apical and basal sides during development and establish microvilli on the apical side, interacting with photoreceptors, nurturing photoreceptor outer segments and participating in the visual cycle by recycling 11-trans retinal (bleached pigment) back to 11-cis retinal. Retinal organoids, however, either do not have RPE layer or carry patches of RPE mostly on one side, thus directly exposing most photoreceptors in the developing organoids to neural medium. Recreation of the critical retinal niche between the apical RPE and photoreceptors, where many retinal disease mechanisms originate, is so far unattainable, imposes clear limitations on both modeling/drug screening and transplantation approaches and is a focus of investigation in many labs. Here we dissect different retinal degenerative diseases and analyze how and where retinal organoid technology can contribute the most to developing therapies even with a current limitation and absence of long and functional outer segments, supported by RPE.
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16
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Simões BF, Gower DJ, Rasmussen AR, Sarker MAR, Fry GC, Casewell NR, Harrison RA, Hart NS, Partridge JC, Hunt DM, Chang BS, Pisani D, Sanders KL. Spectral Diversification and Trans-Species Allelic Polymorphism during the Land-to-Sea Transition in Snakes. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2608-2615.e4. [PMID: 32470360 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Snakes are descended from highly visual lizards [1] but have limited (probably dichromatic) color vision attributed to a dim-light lifestyle of early snakes [2-4]. The living species of front-fanged elapids, however, are ecologically very diverse, with ∼300 terrestrial species (cobras, taipans, etc.) and ∼60 fully marine sea snakes, plus eight independently marine, amphibious sea kraits [1]. Here, we investigate the evolution of spectral sensitivity in elapids by analyzing their opsin genes (which are responsible for sensitivity to UV and visible light), retinal photoreceptors, and ocular lenses. We found that sea snakes underwent rapid adaptive diversification of their visual pigments when compared with their terrestrial and amphibious relatives. The three opsins present in snakes (SWS1, LWS, and RH1) have evolved under positive selection in elapids, and in sea snakes they have undergone multiple shifts in spectral sensitivity toward the longer wavelengths that dominate below the sea surface. Several relatively distantly related Hydrophis sea snakes are polymorphic for shortwave sensitive visual pigment encoded by alleles of SWS1. This spectral site polymorphism is expected to confer expanded "UV-blue" spectral sensitivity and is estimated to have persisted twice as long as the predicted survival time for selectively neutral nuclear alleles. We suggest that this polymorphism is adaptively maintained across Hydrophis species via balancing selection, similarly to the LWS polymorphism that confers allelic trichromacy in some primates. Diving sea snakes thus appear to share parallel mechanisms of color vision diversification with fruit-eating primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno F Simões
- University of Plymouth, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom; University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences and School of Earth Sciences, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TG, United Kingdom; The University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Arne R Rasmussen
- The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, Design and Conservation, Philip de Langes Allé, 1435 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Mohammad A R Sarker
- University of Dhaka, Department of Zoology, Curzon Hall Campus, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Gary C Fry
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Robert A Harrison
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan S Hart
- Macquarie University, Department of Biological Sciences, North Ryde, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Julian C Partridge
- The University of Western Australia, Oceans Institute, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David M Hunt
- The University of Western Australia, School of Biological Sciences, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; The Lions Eye Institute, Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Belinda S Chang
- University of Toronto, Departments of Ecology & Evolutionary, Cell & Systems Biology, Willcocks Street, Toronto M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Davide Pisani
- University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences and School of Earth Sciences, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TG, United Kingdom
| | - Kate L Sanders
- The University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
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17
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Nadal-Nicolás FM, Kunze VP, Ball JM, Peng BT, Krishnan A, Zhou G, Dong L, Li W. True S-cones are concentrated in the ventral mouse retina and wired for color detection in the upper visual field. eLife 2020; 9:e56840. [PMID: 32463363 PMCID: PMC7308094 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Color, an important visual cue for survival, is encoded by comparing signals from photoreceptors with different spectral sensitivities. The mouse retina expresses a short wavelength-sensitive and a middle/long wavelength-sensitive opsin (S- and M-opsin), forming opposing, overlapping gradients along the dorsal-ventral axis. Here, we analyzed the distribution of all cone types across the entire retina for two commonly used mouse strains. We found, unexpectedly, that 'true S-cones' (S-opsin only) are highly concentrated (up to 30% of cones) in ventral retina. Moreover, S-cone bipolar cells (SCBCs) are also skewed towards ventral retina, with wiring patterns matching the distribution of true S-cones. In addition, true S-cones in the ventral retina form clusters, which may augment synaptic input to SCBCs. Such a unique true S-cone and SCBC connecting pattern forms a basis for mouse color vision, likely reflecting evolutionary adaptation to enhance color coding for the upper visual field suitable for mice's habitat and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco M Nadal-Nicolás
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Vincent P Kunze
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - John M Ball
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Brian T Peng
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Akshay Krishnan
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Gaohui Zhou
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Lijin Dong
- Genetic Engineering Facility, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
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18
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Grünert U, Martin PR. Cell types and cell circuits in human and non-human primate retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2020; 78:100844. [PMID: 32032773 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes our current knowledge of primate including human retina focusing on bipolar, amacrine and ganglion cells and their connectivity. We have two main motivations in writing. Firstly, recent progress in non-invasive imaging methods to study retinal diseases mean that better understanding of the primate retina is becoming an important goal both for basic and for clinical sciences. Secondly, genetically modified mice are increasingly used as animal models for human retinal diseases. Thus, it is important to understand to which extent the retinas of primates and rodents are comparable. We first compare cell populations in primate and rodent retinas, with emphasis on how the fovea (despite its small size) dominates the neural landscape of primate retina. We next summarise what is known, and what is not known, about the postreceptoral neurone populations in primate retina. The inventories of bipolar and ganglion cells in primates are now nearing completion, comprising ~12 types of bipolar cell and at least 17 types of ganglion cell. Primate ganglion cells show clear differences in dendritic field size across the retina, and their morphology differs clearly from that of mouse retinal ganglion cells. Compared to bipolar and ganglion cells, amacrine cells show even higher morphological diversity: they could comprise over 40 types. Many amacrine types appear conserved between primates and mice, but functions of only a few types are understood in any primate or non-primate retina. Amacrine cells appear as the final frontier for retinal research in monkeys and mice alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Grünert
- The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
| | - Paul R Martin
- The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
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19
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Tedore C, Nilsson DE. Avian UV vision enhances leaf surface contrasts in forest environments. Nat Commun 2019; 10:238. [PMID: 30670700 PMCID: PMC6342963 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08142-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
UV vision is prevalent, but we know little about its utility in common general tasks, as in resolving habitat structure. Here we visualize vegetated habitats using a multispectral camera with channels mimicking bird photoreceptor sensitivities across the UV-visible spectrum. We find that the contrast between upper and lower leaf surfaces is higher in a UV channel than in any visible channel, and that this makes leaf position and orientation stand out clearly. This was unexpected since both leaf surfaces reflect similarly small proportions (1–2%) of incident UV light. The strong UV-contrast can be explained by downwelling light being brighter than upwelling, and leaves transmitting < 0.06% of incident UV light. We also find that mirror-like specular reflections of the sky and overlying canopy, from the waxy leaf cuticle, often dwarf diffuse reflections. Specular reflections shift leaf color, such that maximum leaf-contrast is seen at short UV wavelengths under open canopies, and at long UV wavelengths under closed canopies. The utility of UV vision for visualizing habitat structure is poorly known. Here, the authors use optical models and multispectral imaging to show that UV vision reveals sharp visual contrasts between leaf surfaces, potentially an advantage in navigating forest environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Tedore
- Lund Vision Group, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund, 223 62, Sweden. .,Zoological Institute, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, Hamburg, 20146, Germany.
| | - Dan-Eric Nilsson
- Lund Vision Group, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
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20
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Abstract
Although much is known about the visual system of vertebrates in general, studies regarding vision in reptiles, and snakes in particular, are scarce. Reptiles display diverse ocular structures, including different types of retinae such as pure cone, mostly rod, or duplex retinas (containing both rods and cones); however, the same five opsin-based photopigments are found in many of these animals. It is thought that ancestral snakes were nocturnal and/or fossorial, and, as such, they have lost two pigments, but retained three visual opsin classes. These are the RH1 gene (rod opsin or rhodopsin-like-1) expressed in rods and two cone opsins, namely LWS (long-wavelength-sensitive) and SWS1 (short-wavelength-sensitive-1) genes. Until recently, the study of snake photopigments has been largely ignored. However, its importance has become clear within the past few years as studies reconsider Walls’ transmutation theory, which was first proposed in the 1930s. In this study, the visual pigments of Bothrops atrox (the common lancehead), a South American pit viper, were examined. Specifically, full-length RH1 and LWS opsin gene sequences were cloned, as well as most of the SWS1 opsin gene. These sequences were subsequently used for phylogenetic analysis and to predict the wavelength of maximum absorbance (λmax) for each photopigment. This is the first report to support the potential for rudimentary color vision in a South American viper, specifically a species that is regarded as being nocturnal.
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21
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Sadier A, Davies KT, Yohe LR, Yun K, Donat P, Hedrick BP, Dumont ER, Dávalos LM, Rossiter SJ, Sears KE. Multifactorial processes underlie parallel opsin loss in neotropical bats. eLife 2018; 7:37412. [PMID: 30560780 PMCID: PMC6333445 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of previously adaptive traits is typically linked to relaxation in selection, yet the molecular steps leading to such repeated losses are rarely known. Molecular studies of loss have tended to focus on gene sequences alone, but overlooking other aspects of protein expression might underestimate phenotypic diversity. Insights based almost solely on opsin gene evolution, for instance, have made mammalian color vision a textbook example of phenotypic loss. We address this gap by investigating retention and loss of opsin genes, transcripts, and proteins across ecologically diverse noctilionoid bats. We find multiple, independent losses of short-wave-sensitive opsins. Mismatches between putatively functional DNA sequences, mRNA transcripts, and proteins implicate transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes in the ongoing loss of S-opsins in some noctilionoid bats. Our results provide a snapshot of evolution in progress during phenotypic trait loss, and suggest vertebrate visual phenotypes cannot always be predicted from genotypes alone. Bats are famous for using their hearing to explore their environments, yet fewer people are aware that these flying mammals have both good night and daylight vision. Some bats can even see in color thanks to two light-sensitive proteins at the back of their eyes: S-opsin which detects blue and ultraviolet light and L-opsin which detects green and red light. Many species of bat, however, are missing one of these proteins and cannot distinguish any colors; in other words, they are completely color-blind. Some bat species found in Central and South America have independently lost their ability to see blue-ultraviolet light and have thus also lost their color vision. These bats have diverse diets – ranging from insects to fruits and even blood – and being able to distinguish color may offer an advantage in many of their activities, including hunting or foraging. The vision genes in these bats, therefore, give scientists an opportunity to explore how a seemingly important trait can be lost at the molecular level. Sadier, Davies et al. now report that S-opsin has been lost more than a dozen times during the evolutionary history of these Central and South American bats. The analysis used samples from 55 species, including animals caught from the wild and specimens from museums. As with other proteins, the instructions encoded in the gene sequence for S opsin need to be copied into a molecule of RNA before they can be translated into protein. As expected, S-opsin was lost several times because of changes in the gene sequence that disrupted the formation of the protein. However, at several points in these bats’ evolutionary history, additional changes have taken place that affected the production of the RNA or the protein, without an obvious change to the gene itself. This finding suggests that other studies that rely purely on DNA to understand evolution may underestimate how often traits may be lost. By capturing ‘evolution in action’, these results also provide a more complete picture of the molecular targets of evolution in a diverse set of bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Sadier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Kalina Tj Davies
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, New York, United States.,Geology & Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Kun Yun
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, United States
| | - Paul Donat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, New York, United States
| | - Brandon P Hedrick
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Elizabeth R Dumont
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States
| | - Liliana M Dávalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, New York, United States.,Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, New York, United States
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
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22
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Kawashima R, Matsushita K, Kuniyoshi K, Nishida K. Contribution of Bipolar Cells of Cone ON and OFF Pathways to Electroretinograms Elicited by Ultraviolet and Middle Wavelength Stimuli. Curr Eye Res 2018; 44:413-422. [PMID: 30444431 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2018.1549262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the contribution of the ON and OFF cone bipolar cell pathways to the electroretinograms (ERGs) elicited by ultraviolet (UV) and middle wavelength light in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiments were performed on 8- to 10-week-old C57BL/6J mice. The ERGs elicited by single-flash and flickering UV light stimuli were compared to those elicited by green light stimuli under photopic conditions. Pharmacological agents were used to selectively block the ON and OFF pathways contributing to the ERGs. Saline was used as a control. The flicker ERGs elicited by UV light were compared to the ERGs elicited by green light after the injection of the pharmacological agents to determine the contribution of the cone ON and OFF pathways to the ERGs. RESULTS The photopic single-flash and flicker ERGs were more sensitive to the UV light stimuli than to those elicited by green light stimuli. The flicker ERG responses elicited by both UV and green light stimuli at stimulus frequencies lower than 15-Hz decreased after L-2-amino-4-phosphobutyric acid was injected. The ERGs elicited by UV light at 30-Hz and by green light at frequencies lower than 15-Hz decreased significantly after the intravitreal injection of cis-2, 3-piperidine-dicarboxylic acid. An analysis of the ON and OFF components of the flicker ERGs showed that there might be pharmacological differences between the UV light-sensitive responses and the green light-sensitive responses. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the UV light-sensitive cones connect to both the ON and OFF bipolar cells differently than that of the green light-sensitive cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumi Kawashima
- a Department of Ophthalmology , Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine , Osaka , Japan
| | - Kenji Matsushita
- a Department of Ophthalmology , Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine , Osaka , Japan
| | - Kazuki Kuniyoshi
- b Department of Ophthalmology , Kindai University Faculty of Medicine , Osaka-Sayama City , Japan
| | - Kohji Nishida
- a Department of Ophthalmology , Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine , Osaka , Japan
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23
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Chen JN, Samadi S, Chen WJ. Rhodopsin gene evolution in early teleost fishes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206918. [PMID: 30395593 PMCID: PMC6218077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin mediates an essential step in image capture and is tightly associated with visual adaptations of aquatic organisms, especially species that live in dim light environments (e.g., the deep sea). The rh1 gene encoding rhodopsin was formerly considered a single-copy gene in genomes of vertebrates, but increasing exceptional cases have been found in teleost fish species. The main objective of this study was to determine to what extent the visual adaptation of teleosts might have been shaped by the duplication and loss of rh1 genes. For that purpose, homologous rh1/rh1-like sequences in genomes of ray-finned fishes from a wide taxonomic range were explored using a PCR-based method, data mining of public genetic/genomic databases, and subsequent phylogenomic analyses of the retrieved sequences. We show that a second copy of the fish-specific intron-less rh1 is present in the genomes of most anguillids (Elopomorpha), Hiodon alosoides (Osteoglossomorpha), and several clupeocephalan lineages. The phylogenetic analysis and comparisons of alternative scenarios for putative events of gene duplication and loss suggested that fish rh1 was likely duplicated twice during the early evolutionary history of teleosts, with one event coinciding with the hypothesized fish-specific genome duplication and the other in the common ancestor of the Clupeocephala. After these gene duplication events, duplicated genes were maintained in several teleost lineages, whereas some were secondarily lost in specific lineages. Alternative evolutionary schemes of rh1 and comparison with previous studies of gene evolution are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhen-Nien Chen
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sarah Samadi
- Institute de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle–CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Wei-Jen Chen
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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24
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Malkemper EP, Peichl L. Retinal photoreceptor and ganglion cell types and topographies in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes
) and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus
). J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2078-2098. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erich Pascal Malkemper
- Department of General Zoology; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen; Essen Germany
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences; Czech University of Life Sciences; Praha 6 Czech Republic
| | - Leo Peichl
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research; Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomie, Goethe University Frankfurt; Frankfurt am Main Germany
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25
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Maguire J, Parry NRA, Kremers J, Murray IJ, McKeefry D. Human S-cone electroretinograms obtained by silent substitution stimulation. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. A, OPTICS, IMAGE SCIENCE, AND VISION 2018; 35:B11-B18. [PMID: 29603933 DOI: 10.1364/josaa.35.000b11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We used triple silent substitution stimuli to characterize human S-cone electroretinograms (ERGs) in normal trichromats. Short-wavelength-cone (S-cone) ERGs were found to have different morphological features and temporal frequency response characteristics compared to ERGs derived from L-cones, M-cones, and rod photoreceptors in normal participants. Furthermore, in two cases of retinal pathology, blue cone monochromatism (BCM) and enhanced S-cone syndrome (ESCS), S-cone ERGs elicited by our stimuli were preserved and enhanced, respectively. The results from both normal and pathological retinae demonstrate that triple silent substitution stimuli can be used to generate ERGs that provide an assay of human S-cone function.
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26
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Retinal S-opsin dominance in Ansell's mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) is a consequence of naturally low serum thyroxine. Sci Rep 2018. [PMID: 29531249 PMCID: PMC5847620 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22705-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals usually possess a majority of medium-wavelength sensitive (M-) and a minority of short-wavelength sensitive (S-) opsins in the retina, enabling dichromatic vision. Unexpectedly, subterranean rodents from the genus Fukomys exhibit an S-opsin majority, which is exceptional among mammals, albeit with no apparent adaptive value. Because thyroid hormones (THs) are pivotal for M-opsin expression and metabolic rate regulation, we have, for the first time, manipulated TH levels in the Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli) using osmotic pumps. In Ansell's mole-rats, the TH thyroxine (T4) is naturally low, likely as an adaptation to the harsh subterranean ecological conditions by keeping resting metabolic rate (RMR) low. We measured gene expression levels in the eye, RMR, and body mass (BM) in TH-treated animals. T4 treatment increased both, S- and M-opsin expression, albeit M-opsin expression at a higher degree. However, this plasticity was only given in animals up to approximately 2.5 years. Mass-specific RMR was not affected following T4 treatment, although BM decreased. Furthermore, the T4 inactivation rate is naturally higher in F. anselli compared to laboratory rodents. This is the first experimental evidence that the S-opsin majority in Ansell's mole-rats is a side effect of low T4, which is downregulated to keep RMR low.
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27
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Schwab IR. The evolution of eyes: major steps. The Keeler lecture 2017: centenary of Keeler Ltd. Eye (Lond) 2018; 32:302-313. [PMID: 29052606 PMCID: PMC5811732 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2017.226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocular evolution is an immense topic, and I do not expect to cover all the details of this process in this manuscript. I will present some concepts about some of the major steps in the evolutionary process to stimulate your thinking about this interesting and complex topic. In the prebiotic soup, vision was not inevitable. Eyes were not preordained. Nor were their shapes, sizes, or current physiology. Sight is an evolutionary gift but it was not ineluctable. The existence of eyes is so basic to our profession that we often do not consider how and why vision appeared or evolved on earth at all. Although vision is a principal sensory modality for at least three major phyla and is present in three or four more phyla, there are other sensory mechanisms that could have been and were occasionally selected instead. Some animals rely on other sensory mechanisms such as audition, echolocation, or olfaction that are much more effective in their particular niche than would be vision. We may not believe those sensory mechanisms to be as robust as vision, but the creatures using those skills would argue otherwise. Why does vision exist at all? And why is it so dominant at least in the number of species that rely upon it for their principal sensory mechanism? How did vision begin? What were the important steps in the evolution of eyes? How did eyes differentiate along their various paths, and why?
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Affiliation(s)
- I R Schwab
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
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28
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Hauzman E, Bonci DMO, Suárez-Villota EY, Neitz M, Ventura DF. Daily activity patterns influence retinal morphology, signatures of selection, and spectral tuning of opsin genes in colubrid snakes. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:249. [PMID: 29228925 PMCID: PMC5725783 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Morphological divergences of snake retinal structure point to complex evolutionary processes and adaptations. The Colubridae family has a remarkable variety of retinal structure that can range from all-cone and all-rod to duplex (cone/rod) retinas. To explore whether nocturnal versus diurnal activity is responsible for constraints on molecular evolution and plays a role in visual opsin spectral tuning of colubrids, we carried out molecular evolution analyses of the visual opsin genes LWS, RH1, and SWS1 from 17 species and performed morphological analyses. Results Phylogenetic reconstructions of the RH1 and LWS recovered major clades characterized by primarily diurnal or primarily nocturnal activity patterns, in contrast with the topology for SWS1, which is very similar to the species tree. We found stronger signals of purifying selection along diurnal and nocturnal lineages for RH1 and SWS1, respectively. A blue-shift of the RH1 spectral peak is associated with diurnal habits. Spectral tuning of cone opsins did not differ among diurnal and nocturnal species. Retinas of nocturnal colubrids had many rows of photoreceptor nuclei, with large numbers of rods, labeled by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and two types of cones: large cones sensitive to long/medium wavelengths (L/M) and small cones sensitive to ultra-violet/violet wavelengths (UV/VS). In contrast, retinas of diurnal species had only one row of photoreceptor nuclei, with four types of cones: large and double L/M cones, small UV/VS cones, and a second group of small cones, labeled by WGA. Conclusions For LWS gene, selection tests did not confirm different constraints related to activity pattern. For SWS1, stronger purifying selection in nocturnal lineages indicates divergent evolutionary pressures related to the activity pattern, and the importance of the short wavelength sensitivity at low light condition. Activity pattern has a clear influence on the signatures of selection and spectral tuning of RH1, with stronger purifying selection in diurnal lineages, which indicates selective pressure to preserve rhodopsin structure and function in pure-cone retinas. We suggest that the presence of four cone types in primarily diurnal colubrids might be related to the gain of color discrimination capacity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-017-1110-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hauzman
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Mello Moraes 1721 Bloco A Sala D9 - Butantã, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil. .,Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - D M O Bonci
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Mello Moraes 1721 Bloco A Sala D9 - Butantã, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil.,Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E Y Suárez-Villota
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnólogicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Edificio Emilio Pugin, Campus Isla Teja S/N, 5110236, Valdivia, Chile.,Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M Neitz
- Department of Opthalmology, University of Washington, 750 Republican Street, Box 358058, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - D F Ventura
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Mello Moraes 1721 Bloco A Sala D9 - Butantã, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil.,Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
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29
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Mitkus M, Olsson P, Toomey MB, Corbo JC, Kelber A. Specialized photoreceptor composition in the raptor fovea. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:2152-2163. [PMID: 28199005 PMCID: PMC6235456 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The retinae of many bird species contain a depression with high photoreceptor density known as the fovea. Many species of raptors have two foveae, a deep central fovea and a shallower temporal fovea. Birds have six types of photoreceptors: rods, active in dim light, double cones that are thought to mediate achromatic discrimination, and four types of single cones mediating color vision. To maximize visual acuity, the fovea should only contain photoreceptors contributing to high-resolution vision. Interestingly, it has been suggested that raptors might lack double cones in the fovea. We used transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry to evaluate this claim in five raptor species: the common buzzard (Buteo buteo), the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), the red kite (Milvus milvus), and the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). We found that all species, except the Eurasian sparrowhawk, lack double cones in the center of the central fovea. The size of the double cone-free zone differed between species. Only the common buzzard had a double cone-free zone in the temporal fovea. In three species, we examined opsin expression in the central fovea and found evidence that rod opsin positive cells were absent and violet-sensitive cone and green-sensitive cone opsin positive cells were present. We conclude that not only double cones, but also single cones may contribute to high-resolution vision in birds, and that raptors may in fact possess high-resolution tetrachromatic vision in the central fovea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindaugas Mitkus
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22364, Lund, Sweden
| | - Peter Olsson
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22364, Lund, Sweden
| | - Matthew B. Toomey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Joseph C. Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22364, Lund, Sweden
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30
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Kim JW, Yang HJ, Oel AP, Brooks MJ, Jia L, Plachetzki DC, Li W, Allison WT, Swaroop A. Recruitment of Rod Photoreceptors from Short-Wavelength-Sensitive Cones during the Evolution of Nocturnal Vision in Mammals. Dev Cell 2017; 37:520-32. [PMID: 27326930 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate ancestors had only cone-like photoreceptors. The duplex retina evolved in jawless vertebrates with the advent of highly photosensitive rod-like photoreceptors. Despite cones being the arbiters of high-resolution color vision, rods emerged as the dominant photoreceptor in mammals during a nocturnal phase early in their evolution. We investigated the evolutionary and developmental origins of rods in two divergent vertebrate retinas. In mice, we discovered genetic and epigenetic vestiges of short-wavelength cones in developing rods, and cell-lineage tracing validated the genesis of rods from S cones. Curiously, rods did not derive from S cones in zebrafish. Our study illuminates several questions regarding the evolution of duplex retina and supports the hypothesis that, in mammals, the S-cone lineage was recruited via the Maf-family transcription factor NRL to augment rod photoreceptors. We propose that this developmental mechanism allowed the adaptive exploitation of scotopic niches during the nocturnal bottleneck early in mammalian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Woong Kim
- Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Jin Yang
- Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Adam Phillip Oel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Matthew John Brooks
- Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Li Jia
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Charles Plachetzki
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - William Ted Allison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Anand Swaroop
- Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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31
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Carvalho LS, Pessoa DMA, Mountford JK, Davies WIL, Hunt DM. The Genetic and Evolutionary Drives behind Primate Color Vision. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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32
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Peichl L, Kaiser A, Rakotondraparany F, Dubielzig RR, Goodman SM, Kappeler PM. Diversity of photoreceptor arrangements in nocturnal, cathemeral and diurnal Malagasy lemurs. J Comp Neurol 2017; 527:13-37. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leo Peichl
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research; Max-von-Laue-Straße 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience; Deutschordenstraße 46, 60528 Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomie, Goethe University Frankfurt; Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Alexander Kaiser
- Department Biology II; Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich; Großhaderner Straße 2-4, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg Germany
- Institute of Zoology; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover; Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover Germany
| | - Felix Rakotondraparany
- Département de Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale; Université d’Antananarivo; BP 906, Antananarivo 101 Madagascar
| | - Richard R. Dubielzig
- School of Veterinary Medicine; University of Wisconsin; 2015 Linden Drive Madison Wisconsin 53706
| | - Steven M. Goodman
- The Field Museum of Natural History; 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago Illinois 60605
- Association Vahatra; BP 3972, Antananarivo 101 Madagascar
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center; Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen Germany
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology; University Göttingen; Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen Germany
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Ultraviolet (UV) light occupies the spectral range of wavelengths slightly shorter than those visible to humans. Because of its shorter wavelength, it is more energetic (and potentially more photodamaging) than ‘visible light’, and it is scattered more efficiently in air and water. Until 1990, only a few animals were recognized as being sensitive to UV light, but we now know that a great diversity, possibly even the majority, of animal species can visually detect and respond to it. Here, we discuss the history of research on biological UV photosensitivity and review current major research trends in this field. Some animals use their UV photoreceptors to control simple, innate behaviors, but most incorporate their UV receptors into their general sense of vision. They not only detect UV light but recognize it as a separate color in light fields, on natural objects or living organisms, or in signals displayed by conspecifics. UV visual pigments are based on opsins, the same family of proteins that are used to detect light in conventional photoreceptors. Despite some interesting exceptions, most animal species have a single photoreceptor class devoted to the UV. The roles of UV in vision are manifold, from guiding navigation and orientation behavior, to detecting food and potential predators, to supporting high-level tasks such as mate assessment and intraspecific communication. Our current understanding of UV vision is restricted almost entirely to two phyla: arthropods and chordates (specifically, vertebrates), so there is much comparative work to be done.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Michael J. Bok
- Lund University, Department of Biology, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 223 62, Sweden
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34
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Henning Y, Szafranski K. Age-Dependent Changes of Monocarboxylate Transporter 8 Availability in the Postnatal Murine Retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:205. [PMID: 27616981 PMCID: PMC4999454 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The thyroid hormones (TH) triiodothyronine (T3) and its prohormone thyroxine (T4) are crucial for retinal development and function, and increasing evidence points at TH dysregulation as a cause for retinal degenerative diseases. Thus, precise regulation of retinal TH supply is required for proper retinal function, but knowledge on these mechanisms is still fragmentary. Several transmembrane transporters have been described as key regulators of TH availability in target tissues of which the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8), a high affinity transporter for T4 and T3, plays an essential role in the central nervous system. Moreover, in the embryonic chicken retina, MCT8 is highly expressed, but the postnatal availability of MCT8 in the mammalian retina was not reported to date. In the present study, spatiotemporal retinal MCT8 availability was examined in mice of different age. For this purpose, we quantified expression levels of Mct8 via Real-Time Reverse-Transcriptase PCR in mouse eyecups (C57BL/6) of juvenile and adult age groups. Additionally, age-dependent MCT8 protein levels were quantified via Western blotting and localized via immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. While no difference in Mct8 expression levels could be detected between age groups, MCT8 protein levels in juvenile animals were about two times higher than in adult animals based on Western blot analyses. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that MCT8 immunoreactivity in the eyecup was restricted to the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium. In juvenile mice, MCT8 was broadly observed along the apical membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium, tightly surrounding photoreceptor outer segments. Distinct immunopositive staining was also detected in the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer. However, in adult specimens, immunoreactivity visibly declined in all layers, which was in line with Western blot analyses. Since MCT8 was abundantly present in juvenile and about twofold lower in adult retinae, our findings suggest a pivotal role of MCT8 especially during postnatal maturation. The present study provides novel insights into age-dependent retinal TH supply, which might help to understand different aspects regarding retinal development, function, and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Henning
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen Essen, Germany
| | - Karol Szafranski
- Genome Analysis, Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute Jena, Germany
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Simões BF, Sampaio FL, Douglas RH, Kodandaramaiah U, Casewell NR, Harrison RA, Hart NS, Partridge JC, Hunt DM, Gower DJ. Visual Pigments, Ocular Filters and the Evolution of Snake Vision. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2483-95. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
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36
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Valen R, Eilertsen M, Edvardsen RB, Furmanek T, Rønnestad I, van der Meeren T, Karlsen Ø, Nilsen TO, Helvik JV. The two-step development of a duplex retina involves distinct events of cone and rod neurogenesis and differentiation. Dev Biol 2016; 416:389-401. [PMID: 27374844 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Unlike in mammals, persistent postembryonic retinal growth is a characteristic feature of fish, which includes major remodeling events that affect all cell types including photoreceptors. Consequently, visual capabilities change during development, where retinal sensitivity to different wavelengths of light (photopic vision), -and to limited photons (scotopic vision) are central capabilities for survival. Differently from well-established model fish, Atlantic cod has a prolonged larval stage where only cone photoreceptors are present. Rods do not appear until juvenile transition (metamorphosis), a hallmark of indirect developing species. Previously we showed that whole gene families of lws (red-sensitive) and sws1 (UV-sensitive) opsins have been lost in cod, while rh2a (green-sensitive) and sws2 (blue-sensitive) genes have tandem duplicated. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of a two-step developing duplex retina in Atlantic cod. The study focuses on cone subtype dynamics and delayed rod neurogenesis and differentiation in all cod life stages. Using transcriptomic and histological approaches we show that different opsins disappear in a topographic manner during development where central to peripheral retina is a key axis of expressional change. Early cone differentiation was initiated in dorso-temporal retina different from previously described in fish. Rods first appeared during initiation of metamorphosis and expression of the nuclear receptor transcription factor nr2e3-1, suggest involvement in rod specification. The indirect developmental strategy thus allows for separate studies of cones and rods development, which in nature correlates with visual changes linked to habitat shifts. The clustering of key retinal genes according to life stage, suggests that Atlantic cod with its sequenced genome may be an important resource for identification of underlying factors required for development and function of photopic and scotopic vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragnhild Valen
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | | | | | - Tomasz Furmanek
- Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, NO-5005 Bergen, Norway
| | - Ivar Rønnestad
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Terje van der Meeren
- Institute of Marine Research, Austevoll Research station and Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, NO-5392 Storebø, Norway
| | - Ørjan Karlsen
- Institute of Marine Research, Austevoll Research station and Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, NO-5392 Storebø, Norway
| | | | - Jon Vidar Helvik
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway
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Adekanmbi AJ, Adekanmbi AA, Akinola OB. Short Wavelength Cone Opsin Is Not Expressed in the Retina of Arboreal African Pangolin (Manis tricuspis). SCIENTIFICA 2016; 2016:1535490. [PMID: 27242946 PMCID: PMC4876002 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1535490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports a study of cone photoreceptors present in the retina of Manis tricuspis. Specifically, the LWS (L-) opsin expressed in longwave-sensitive cones and SWS1 (S-) opsin shortwave-sensitive cones were targeted. Vertical sections revealed reactivity to a cone marker, peanut agglutinin (PNA), and to an LWS antibody, but not to an SWS1 antibody. This suggests that the Manis tricuspis visual system is not able to discriminate shorter wavelengths from longer wavelengths because the short wavelength cones are not expressed in their retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adejoke J. Adekanmbi
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, PMB 5017 GPO, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Adefisayo A. Adekanmbi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University College Hospital Ibadan, PMB 5017, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oluwole B. Akinola
- Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
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CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTERIOR SEGMENT OPHTHALMOLOGIC LESIONS IDENTIFIED IN FREE-RANGING DOLPHINS AND THOSE UNDER HUMAN CARE. J Zoo Wildl Med 2016; 47:56-75. [PMID: 27010265 DOI: 10.1638/2014-0157.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans in the wild and under human care develop a variety of ocular lesions. Although they have echolocation, cetacean species have good sight, making ocular health an important part of overall health care. The cornea is the primary site of abnormalities in both populations. Typical lesions of cetaceans under human care are characterized in this retrospective review of cases. One hundred eighty animals (n = 360 eyes) were chosen from the author's ophthalmologic examination reports from different geographic areas; they included Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Pacific bottle nose dolphins (Tursiopstruncatus gilli), Indopacific bottlenose dolphins (Steno bredanensis), Indopacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), and roughtooth dolphins (Steno bredanensis). These animals were examined at least once, although most were examined numerous times over many years; lesions were categorized and are described. Seventy-seven eyes from 47 animals were normal. Medial keratopathy was the most common lesion and identified in 180 eyes from 97 animals, with 83 affected bilaterally. Horizontal keratopathy was identified in 69 eyes from 41 animals, with 28 affected bilaterally. Axial keratopathy and nonspecific axial opacities were identified in 67 eyes from 44 animals, with 21 affected bilaterally. Seventy-eight eyes from 50 animals, with 28 affected bilaterally, had more than one type of corneal lesion. Cataracts were identified in 32 eyes from 19 animals, with 13 affected bilaterally. Traumatic injuries were also common and involved eyelids and cornea. Sixteen eyes from 11 animals were blind; five dolphins were blind bilaterally due to phthisis bulbi secondary to corneal perforation or severe trauma. None of the diseases had a sex predisposition; however, medial keratopathy was significantly more common as a bilateral presentation than as a unilateral presentation. Cetaceans under human care with impaired sight can use echolocation; however, ocular health should definitely be a priority in their overall health plan.
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Express saccades and superior colliculus responses are sensitive to short-wavelength cone contrast. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:6743-8. [PMID: 27140613 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1600095113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A key structure for directing saccadic eye movements is the superior colliculus (SC). The visual pathways that project to the SC have been reported to carry only luminance information and not color information. Short-wavelength-sensitive cones (S-cones) in the retina make little or no contribution to luminance signals, leading to the conclusion that S-cone stimuli should be invisible to SC neurons. The premise that S-cone stimuli are invisible to the SC has been used in numerous clinical and human psychophysical studies. The assumption that the SC cannot use S-cone stimuli to guide behavior has never been tested. We show here that express saccades, which depend on the SC, can be driven by S-cone input. Further, express saccade reaction times and changes in SC activity depend on the amount of S-cone contrast. These results demonstrate that the SC can use S-cone stimuli to guide behavior. We conclude that the use of S-cone stimuli is insufficient to isolate SC function in psychophysical and clinical studies of human subjects.
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Melin AD, Wells K, Moritz GL, Kistler L, Orkin JD, Timm RM, Bernard H, Lakim MB, Perry GH, Kawamura S, Dominy NJ. Euarchontan Opsin Variation Brings New Focus to Primate Origins. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:1029-41. [PMID: 26739880 PMCID: PMC4776711 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Debate on the adaptive origins of primates has long focused on the functional ecology of the primate visual system. For example, it is hypothesized that variable expression of short- (SWS1) and middle-to-long-wavelength sensitive (M/LWS) opsins, which confer color vision, can be used to infer ancestral activity patterns and therefore selective ecological pressures. A problem with this approach is that opsin gene variation is incompletely known in the grandorder Euarchonta, that is, the orders Scandentia (treeshrews), Dermoptera (colugos), and Primates. The ancestral state of primate color vision is therefore uncertain. Here, we report on the genes (OPN1SW and OPN1LW) that encode SWS1 and M/LWS opsins in seven species of treeshrew, including the sole nocturnal scandentian Ptilocercus lowii. In addition, we examined the opsin genes of the Central American woolly opossum (Caluromys derbianus), an enduring ecological analogue in the debate on primate origins. Our results indicate: 1) retention of ultraviolet (UV) visual sensitivity in C. derbianus and a shift from UV to blue spectral sensitivities at the base of Euarchonta; 2) ancient pseudogenization of OPN1SW in the ancestors of P. lowii, but a signature of purifying selection in those of C. derbianus; and, 3) the absence of OPN1LW polymorphism among diurnal treeshrews. These findings suggest functional variation in the color vision of nocturnal mammals and a distinctive visual ecology of early primates, perhaps one that demanded greater spatial resolution under light levels that could support cone-mediated color discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
| | - Konstans Wells
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gillian L Moritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University
| | - Logan Kistler
- Departments of Anthropology and Biology, Pennsylvania State University School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph D Orkin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Robert M Timm
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Maklarin B Lakim
- Sabah Parks, Lot 45 & 46 KK Times Square Coastal Highway, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - George H Perry
- Departments of Anthropology and Biology, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Nathaniel J Dominy
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Department of Biological Sciences, Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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Pauers MJ, Kuchenbecker JA, Joneson SL, Neitz J. Correlated Evolution of Short Wavelength Sensitive Photoreceptor Sensitivity and Color Pattern in Lake Malawi Cichlids. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Cryptochrome 1 in Retinal Cone Photoreceptors Suggests a Novel Functional Role in Mammals. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21848. [PMID: 26898837 PMCID: PMC4761878 DOI: 10.1038/srep21848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes are a ubiquitous group of blue-light absorbing flavoproteins that in the mammalian retina have an important role in the circadian clock. In birds, cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a), localized in the UV/violet-sensitive S1 cone photoreceptors, is proposed to be the retinal receptor molecule of the light-dependent magnetic compass. The retinal localization of mammalian Cry1, homologue to avian Cry1a, is unknown, and it is open whether mammalian Cry1 is also involved in magnetic field sensing. To constrain the possible role of retinal Cry1, we immunohistochemically analysed 90 mammalian species across 48 families in 16 orders, using an antiserum against the Cry1 C-terminus that in birds labels only the photo-activated conformation. In the Carnivora families Canidae, Mustelidae and Ursidae, and in some Primates, Cry1 was consistently labeled in the outer segment of the shortwave-sensitive S1 cones. This finding would be compatible with a magnetoreceptive function of Cry1 in these taxa. In all other taxa, Cry1 was not detected by the antiserum that likely also in mammals labels the photo-activated conformation, although Western blots showed Cry1 in mouse retinal cell nuclei. We speculate that in the mouse and the other negative-tested mammals Cry1 is involved in circadian functions as a non-light-responsive protein.
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43
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Emerling CA, Springer MS. Genomic evidence for rod monochromacy in sloths and armadillos suggests early subterranean history for Xenarthra. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20142192. [PMID: 25540280 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Rod monochromacy is a rare condition in vertebrates characterized by the absence of cone photoreceptor cells. The resulting phenotype is colourblindness and low acuity vision in dim-light and blindness in bright-light conditions. Early reports of xenarthrans (armadillos, sloths and anteaters) suggest that they are rod monochromats, but this has not been tested with genomic data. We searched the genomes of Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo), Choloepus hoffmanni (Hoffmann's two-toed sloth) and Mylodon darwinii (extinct ground sloth) for retinal photoreceptor genes and examined them for inactivating mutations. We performed PCR and Sanger sequencing on cone phototransduction genes of 10 additional xenarthrans to test for shared inactivating mutations and estimated the timing of inactivation for photoreceptor pseudogenes. We concluded that a stem xenarthran became an long-wavelength sensitive-cone monochromat following a missense mutation at a critical residue in SWS1, and a stem cingulate (armadillos, glyptodonts and pampatheres) and stem pilosan (sloths and anteaters) independently acquired rod monochromacy early in their evolutionary history following the inactivation of LWS and PDE6C, respectively. We hypothesize that rod monochromacy in armadillos and pilosans evolved as an adaptation to a subterranean habitat in the early history of Xenarthra. The presence of rod monochromacy has major implications for understanding xenarthran behavioural ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Emerling
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Mark S Springer
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Emerling CA, Huynh HT, Nguyen MA, Meredith RW, Springer MS. Spectral shifts of mammalian ultraviolet-sensitive pigments (short wavelength-sensitive opsin 1) are associated with eye length and photic niche evolution. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20151817. [PMID: 26582021 PMCID: PMC4685808 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal opsin photopigments initiate mammalian vision when stimulated by light. Most mammals possess a short wavelength-sensitive opsin 1 (SWS1) pigment that is primarily sensitive to either ultraviolet or violet light, leading to variation in colour perception across species. Despite knowledge of both ultraviolet- and violet-sensitive SWS1 classes in mammals for 25 years, the adaptive significance of this variation has not been subjected to hypothesis testing, resulting in minimal understanding of the basis for mammalian SWS1 spectral tuning evolution. Here, we gathered data on SWS1 for 403 mammal species, including novel SWS1 sequences for 97 species. Ancestral sequence reconstructions suggest that the most recent common ancestor of Theria possessed an ultraviolet SWS1 pigment, and that violet-sensitive pigments evolved at least 12 times in mammalian history. We also observed that ultraviolet pigments, previously considered to be a rarity, are common in mammals. We then used phylogenetic comparative methods to test the hypotheses that the evolution of violet-sensitive SWS1 is associated with increased light exposure, extended longevity and longer eye length. We discovered that diurnal mammals and species with longer eyes are more likely to have violet-sensitive pigments and less likely to possess UV-sensitive pigments. We hypothesize that (i) as mammals evolved larger body sizes, they evolved longer eyes, which limited transmittance of ultraviolet light to the retina due to an increase in Rayleigh scattering, and (ii) as mammals began to invade diurnal temporal niches, they evolved lenses with low UV transmittance to reduce chromatic aberration and/or photo-oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Emerling
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Hieu T Huynh
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Minh A Nguyen
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Robert W Meredith
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA Department of Biology and Molecular Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA
| | - Mark S Springer
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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Abstract
The mouse has become an important model for understanding the neural basis of visual perception. Although it has long been known that mouse lens transmits ultraviolet (UV) light and mouse opsins have absorption in the UV band, little is known about how UV visual information is processed in the mouse brain. Using a custom UV stimulation system and in vivo calcium imaging, we characterized the feature selectivity of layer 2/3 neurons in mouse primary visual cortex (V1). In adult mice, a comparable percentage of the neuronal population responds to UV and visible stimuli, with similar pattern selectivity and receptive field properties. In young mice, the orientation selectivity for UV stimuli increased steadily during development, but not direction selectivity. Our results suggest that, by expanding the spectral window through which the mouse can acquire visual information, UV sensitivity provides an important component for mouse vision.
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46
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Hofmann L, Palczewski K. Advances in understanding the molecular basis of the first steps in color vision. Prog Retin Eye Res 2015; 49:46-66. [PMID: 26187035 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Serving as one of our primary environmental inputs, vision is the most sophisticated sensory system in humans. Here, we present recent findings derived from energetics, genetics and physiology that provide a more advanced understanding of color perception in mammals. Energetics of cis-trans isomerization of 11-cis-retinal accounts for color perception in the narrow region of the electromagnetic spectrum and how human eyes can absorb light in the near infrared (IR) range. Structural homology models of visual pigments reveal complex interactions of the protein moieties with the light sensitive chromophore 11-cis-retinal and that certain color blinding mutations impair secondary structural elements of these G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Finally, we identify unsolved critical aspects of color tuning that require future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Hofmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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47
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Simões BF, Sampaio FL, Jared C, Antoniazzi MM, Loew ER, Bowmaker JK, Rodriguez A, Hart NS, Hunt DM, Partridge JC, Gower DJ. Visual system evolution and the nature of the ancestral snake. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1309-20. [PMID: 26012745 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The dominant hypothesis for the evolutionary origin of snakes from 'lizards' (non-snake squamates) is that stem snakes acquired many snake features while passing through a profound burrowing (fossorial) phase. To investigate this, we examined the visual pigments and their encoding opsin genes in a range of squamate reptiles, focusing on fossorial lizards and snakes. We sequenced opsin transcripts isolated from retinal cDNA and used microspectrophotometry to measure directly the spectral absorbance of the photoreceptor visual pigments in a subset of samples. In snakes, but not lizards, dedicated fossoriality (as in Scolecophidia and the alethinophidian Anilius scytale) corresponds with loss of all visual opsins other than RH1 (λmax 490-497 nm); all other snakes (including less dedicated burrowers) also have functional sws1 and lws opsin genes. In contrast, the retinas of all lizards sampled, even highly fossorial amphisbaenians with reduced eyes, express functional lws, sws1, sws2 and rh1 genes, and most also express rh2 (i.e. they express all five of the visual opsin genes present in the ancestral vertebrate). Our evidence of visual pigment complements suggests that the visual system of stem snakes was partly reduced, with two (RH2 and SWS2) of the ancestral vertebrate visual pigments being eliminated, but that this did not extend to the extreme additional loss of SWS1 and LWS that subsequently occurred (probably independently) in highly fossorial extant scolecophidians and A. scytale. We therefore consider it unlikely that the ancestral snake was as fossorial as extant scolecophidians, whether or not the latter are para- or monophyletic.
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Affiliation(s)
- B F Simões
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - F L Sampaio
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - C Jared
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M M Antoniazzi
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E R Loew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - J K Bowmaker
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - A Rodriguez
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - N S Hart
- School of Animal Biology and The Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - D M Hunt
- School of Animal Biology and The Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Lions Eye Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - J C Partridge
- School of Animal Biology and The Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - D J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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48
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Marcos Gorresen P, Cryan PM, Dalton DC, wolf S, Bonaccorso FJ. Ultraviolet Vision May be Widespread in Bats. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2015.17.1.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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49
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Abstract
We review the features of the S-cone system that appeal to the psychophysicist and summarize the celebrated characteristics of S-cone mediated vision. Two factors are emphasized: First, the fine stimulus control that is required to isolate putative visual mechanisms and second, the relationship between physiological data and psychophysical approaches. We review convergent findings from physiology and psychophysics with respect to asymmetries in the retinal wiring of S-ON and S-OFF visual pathways, and the associated treatment of increments and decrements in the S-cone system. Beyond the retina, we consider the lack of S-cone projections to superior colliculus and the use of S-cone stimuli in experimental psychology, for example to address questions about the mechanisms of visually driven attention. Careful selection of stimulus parameters enables psychophysicists to produce entirely reversible, temporary, "lesions," and to assess behavior in the absence of specific neural subsystems.
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50
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Mercadante A, Hill GE. An experimental test of the role of structural blue and melanin-based chestnut coloration in aggressive contests in male eastern bluebirds. Front Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2014.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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