Physiological and evolutionary implications of the molecular basis for wavelength-discrimination in pineal and related organs

DOI Web Site 23 References Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 松果体波長識別の分子基盤に関する分子生理学的解析と進化学的考察
  • ショウカタイ ハチョウ シキベツ ノ ブンシ キバン ニ カンスル ブンシ セイリガクテキ カイセキ ト シンカガクテキ コウサツ

Search this article

Abstract

The pineal and related organs in non-mammalian vertebrates sense light directly. The light information they receive is involved in the regulation of various non-visual functions, including regulation of circadian rhythm. The pineal and related organs of lower vertebrates are not only capable of irradiance detection but also of wavelength discrimination – determining the ratio of UV light to visible light. We have shown spectroscopically, histochemically and electrophysiologically that parapinopsin serves as a UV-sensitive pigment underlying the wavelength discrimination in the lamprey pineal. Interestingly, parapinopsin has molecular characteristics of both vertebrate and invertebrate opsin-based pigments. We further found that in the lamprey pineal photoreceptor cells, parapinopsin was not colocalized with visual arrestin, but instead colocalized with and coupled to beta-arrestin, which generally binds to stimulated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) other than opsin-based pigments. These results support the idea that parapinopsin may represent an evolutionary intermediate between non-visual and visual pigments. I therefore propose that parapinopsin is a key opsin-based pigment not only for uncovering the mechanism and function of pineal wavelength discrimination but also for understanding the evolution of visual pigments and phototransduction proteins.

Journal

References(23)*help

See more

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top