PRJNA723899
Nudibranch opsins: identification, localization, and potential roles in extraocular photoreception and circadian rhythms
R-type (rhabdomeric) opsins, which are common light-sensitive proteins in invertebrate eyes, have been identified in the eyes, brain and skin of many molluscan taxa. Little is known about the role of r-opsins in extraocular photoreception in heterobranch gastropods (a clade with roughly half of the diversity of gastropod species), including nudibranchs. We have identified multiple types of opsins in brain &amp; eye-only transcriptomes of the nudibranchs Hermissenda opalescens, Berghia stephanieae, and Melibe leonina. The raw reads for these transcriptomes are contained within this archive. Using r-opsin sequences obtained from H. opalescens and M. leonina, we also developed RNA probes for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and found r-opsin mRNA expression in all dermal tissues examined.