Biology subjects

Davies, W. I. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Davies, W. I. L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Enhanced short-wavelength sensitivity in the blue-tongued skink,Tiliqua rugosa

The complex visually mediated behaviors of diurnal lizards are enabled by a retina typically containing five types of opsins with the potential for tetrachromatic color vision. Despite lizards using a wide range of color signals, the limited variation in photoreceptor spectral sensitivities across lizards suggests only weak selection for species-specific, spectral tuning of photoreceptors. Some species, however, have enhanced short wavelength sensitivity, which likely helps with the detection of signals rich in ultraviolet and short wavelengths. In this study, we examined the visual system of Tiliqua rugosa, which has a UV/blue tongue, to determine the spectral sensitivity of the eye and to gain insight into this species visual ecology. Electroretinograms coupled with spectral stimulation showed peak sensitivity at 560 nm with high similarity to other lizards at wavelengths greater than 530 nm. However, at shorter wavelengths, sensitivity is enhanced leading to a spectral sensitivity curve that is 28 nm broader (full width at half height) than other lizards studied so far. The width of the curve is partially explained by a population of photoreceptors that respond more strongly to low temporal frequencies with possible peaks in sensitivity between 460 and 470 nm suggesting that they are SWS2 photoreceptors. The lack of a peak in sensitivity at 360 nm at low temporal frequencies and under a monochromatic light that suppresses the response of LWS photoreceptors, suggests that the SWS1 photoreceptors are red-shifted. In addition, the yellow and green oil droplets that are common in other diurnal lizards appear to be missing and instead, only transparent and pale-yellow oil droplets are present. LWS photoreceptors are likely paired with pale-yellow oil droplets to produce LWS photoreceptors with wider spectral sensitivity curves than in other lizards. Opsin sequencing reveals SWS1, SWS2, RH1, RH2 and LWS opsin genes that are very similar to the visual opsins detected in the green anole, Anolis carolinensis, suggesting there is little change in the spectral sensitivity of photoreceptors compared to other diurnal lizards. Since we only obtained a partial sequence of the SWS1 opsin, we were unable to determine whether amino acid substitution at tuning sites could have played a role in red-shifting the SWS1 photoreceptor spectral sensitivity. Photoreceptor densities are typically higher in central and ventral retinal regions than in the dorsal retina suggesting that higher spatial sampling is necessary at eye level and above the animal than on the ground. However, the SWS1 photoreceptors do not follow this pattern potentially due to their low abundance making them less relevant to high acuity visual tasks. Our findings demonstrate that there are possibly multiple mechanisms acting synergistically in the visual system of T. rugosa to enhance short wavelength sensitivity between 360 and 530 nm. While it is tempting to suggest that this is an adaptation to facilitate the detection of the blue tongues of conspecifics, additional experiments are necessary to determine its ecological relevance. Summary statementColor vision and the distribution of photoreceptor subtypes in T. rugosa

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Short-wavelength-sensitive 2 (Sws2) visual photopigment models combined with atomistic molecular simulations to predict spectral peaks of absorbance

For many species, vision is one of the most important sensory modalities for mediating essential tasks that include navigation, predation and foraging, predator avoidance, and numerous social behaviors. The vertebrate visual process begins when photons of the light interact with rod and cone photoreceptors that are present in the neural retina. Vertebrate visual photopigments are housed within these photoreceptor cells and are sensitive to a wide range of wavelengths that peak within the light spectrum, the latter of which is a function of the type of chromophore used and how it interacts with specific amino acid residues found within the opsin protein sequence. Minor differences in the amino acid sequences of the opsins are known to lead to large differences in the spectral peak of absorbance (i.e. the {lambda}max value). In our prior studies, we developed a new approach that combined homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations to gather structural information associated with chromophore conformation, then used it to generate statistical models for the accurate prediction of {lambda}max values for photopigments derived from Rh1 and Rh2 amino acid sequences. In the present study, we test our novel approach to predict the {lambda}max of phylogenetically distant Sws2 cone opsins. To build a model that can predict the {lambda}max using our approach presented in our prior studies, we selected a spectrally-diverse set of 11 teleost Sws2 photopigments for which both amino acid sequence information and experimentally measured {lambda}max values are known. The final first-order regression model, consisting of three terms associated with chromophore conformation, was sufficient to predict the {lambda}max of Sws2 photopigments with high accuracy. This study further highlights the breadth of our approach in reliably predicting {lambda}max values of Sws2 cone photopigments, evolutionary-more distant from template bovine RH1, and provided mechanistic insights into the role of known spectral tuning sites. Author SummaryIn vertebrates, color vision depends on the complement of cone visual photopigments that have different spectral peaks of absorbance ({lambda}max) within the cone population. Together, the type of chromophore and the amino acid sequence of the opsin protein directly affect the {lambda}max value. To understand this relationship further at a structural level, we previously developed a new molecular modeling approach to study Rh1 and Rh2 opsin classes by combining homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulations to extract structural parameters of chromophore conformations and statistical modeling. Here, we used this novel modeling approach to accurately predict the {lambda}max values for teleost Sws2 photopigments. Such a genome-to-phenome approach for predicting visual pigment function will be of great interest to evolutionary biologists, vision scientists, and molecular modelers, to better understand the diversity and mechanisms of sensory function. Moreover, it will pave the way for novel strategies to forward engineer visual pigments suitable for optogenetics applications.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2018

Vision using multiple distinct rod opsins in deep-sea fishes

Vertebrate vision is accomplished through a set of light-sensitive photopigments, which are located in the photoreceptors of the retina and consist of a visual opsin protein bound to a chromophore. In dim-light, vertebrates generally rely upon a single rod opsin (RH1) for obtaining visual information. By inspecting 101 fish genomes, we found that three deep-sea teleost lineages have independently expanded their RH1 gene repertoires. Amongst these, the silver spinyfin (Diretmus argenteus Johnson 1863) stands out as having the highest number of visual opsins known for animals to date (2 cone and 38 rod opsins). Spinyfins simultaneously express up to 14 RH1s encoding for photopigments with different peak spectral sensitivities ({lambda}max=448-513 nm) that cover the range of the residual daylight, as well as the bioluminescence spectrum present in the deep-sea. Our findings present novel molecular and functional evidence for the recurrent evolution of multiple rod opsin-based vision in vertebrates.\n\nSHORT ABSTRACTContrary to the single rod opsin used by most vertebrates, some fishes use multiple rod opsins for vision in the dimly lit deep-sea.

evolutionary biology↗