Evidence for light perception in a bioluminescent organ.
Here we show that bioluminescent organs of the squid Euprymna scolopes possess the molecular, biochemical, and physiological capability for light detection. Transcriptome analyses revealed expression of genes encoding key visual transduction proteins in light-organ tissues, including the same isoform of opsin that occurs in the retina. Electroretinograms demonstrated that the organ responds physiologically to light, and immunocytochemistry experiments localized multiple proteins of visual transduction cascades to tissues housing light-producing bacterial symbionts. These data provide evidence that the light-organ tissues harboring the symbionts serve as extraocular photoreceptors, with the potential to perceive directly the bioluminescence produced by their bacterial partners.
Tong
Deyan
D
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Rozas
Natalia S
NS
Oakley
Todd H
TH
Mitchell
Jane
J
Colley
Nansi J
NJ
McFall-Ngai
Margaret J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D049832:Decapodiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D004596:Electroretinography; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008027:Light; D049449:Luminescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014796:Visual Perception