title: Visual pigment homologies revealed by DNA hybridization.
abstract: A bovine rhodopsin complementary DNA probe was used to detect homologous visual pigment genes in a variety of species. Under stringent DNA hybridization conditions, genomic DNA from most vertebrate species carried a single homologous fragment. Additional homologies were detected in some vertebrates by reducing the hybridization stringency. Homologous fragments were also detected in DNA isolated from invertebrate species, a unicellular alga, and an archaebacterium; many of these fragments were homologous to a Drosophila opsin probe. These results suggest that photosensory pigments in a wide variety of species arose from a common precursor.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004330:Drosophila; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010944:Plants; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000235:genetics*; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000235:genetics; D017299:Rod Opsins; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D012168:Retinal Pigments; D017299:Rod Opsins; D004247:DNA; D012243:Rhodopsin; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes