MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library



    Molecular evidence for dim-light vision in the last common ancestor of the vertebrates


    Pisani, Davide and Mohun, Samantha and Harris, Simon and McInerney, James and Wilkinson, Mark (2006) Molecular evidence for dim-light vision in the last common ancestor of the vertebrates. Current Biology, 16 (9). pp. 318-319.

    [img] Download (92kB)


    Share your research

    Twitter Facebook LinkedIn GooglePlus Email more...



    Add this article to your Mendeley library


    Abstract

    Animal vision is mediated through pigments belonging exclusively to the opsin family. These are members of the G-protein-coupled receptor family that bind retinal [1]. Based on function and phylogenetic relationship, vertebrate visual opsins can be clustered in five groups: Rhod photoreceptors (Rh1), Rh1-like (Rh2), Short Wave Sensitive (SWS1), SWS1-like (SWS2), and Long (LWS) or Medium (MWS) Wave Length Sensitive (LWS/MWS). Rh1 is used for seeing under dim light conditions (scotopic vision), while the others permit full colour (photopic) vision in bright light 2, 3, 4 and 5. Opsins have diversified by a series of gene duplications, and the inferred order of these duplications indicates that photopic vision predated scotopic vision in vertebrates 2, 3, 4 and 5.

    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: Molecular; dim-light ; vision; ancestor; vertebrates;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
    Item ID: 919
    Depositing User: Dr. James McInerney
    Date Deposited: 03 Mar 2008
    Journal or Publication Title: Current Biology
    Publisher: Elsevier
    Refereed: Yes
    URI:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

    Repository Staff Only(login required)

    View Item Item control page

    Downloads

    Downloads per month over past year

    Origin of downloads