title: Contributions of Phenoxazone-Based Pigments to the Structure and Function of Nanostructured Granules in Squid Chromatophores.
abstract: Understanding the structure-function relationships of pigment-based nanostructures can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms behind biological signaling, camouflage, or communication experienced in many species. In squid Doryteuthis pealeii, combinations of phenoxazone-based pigments are identified as the source of visible color within the nanostructured granules that populate dermal chromatophore organs. In the absence of the pigments, granules experience a reduction in diameter with the loss of visible color, suggesting important structural and functional features. Energy gaps are estimated from electronic absorption spectra, revealing highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies that are dependent upon the varying carboxylated states of the pigment. These results implicate a hierarchical mechanism for the bulk coloration in cephalopods originating from the molecular components confined within in the nanostructured granules of chromatophore organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, §Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, and ∥Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States.
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, §Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, and ∥Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: DiBona
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, §Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, and ∥Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States.
authors.forename: Sean R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Dinneen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, §Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, and ∥Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States.
authors.forename: Stephanie F Jones
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Labadie
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, §Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, and ∥Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States.
authors.forename: Feixia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, §Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, and ∥Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States.
authors.forename: Leila F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Deravi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002856:Chromatophores / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D049832:Decapodiformes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010078:Oxazines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D010078:Oxazines; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D014966:Xanthenes; C002866:xanthommatin