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SUMMARY:Life in the dark: can deep sea fishes see colours? - Zuzana Musilo
 va (Charles University\, Prague)
DTSTART:20180530T120000Z
DTEND:20180530T130000Z
UID:TALK104368@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Olivia Tidswell
DESCRIPTION:Vision in vertebrates is based on different visual proteins (o
 psins) in the cone and rod cells in the retina. Under ‘dim-light’ cond
 itions\, mostly rod receptors are thought to mediate rather color-blind vi
 sion by expression of a single rod opsin gene (RH1)\, while the cones enab
 le colour vision in substantial light intensity. By inspecting 101 fish ge
 nomes\, we found that three teleost lineages from the dim-light environmen
 t of the deep sea have independently expanded their RH1 gene repertoire vi
 a gene duplication and subsequent functional diversification. An extreme c
 ase of one species stands out with a total of 40 opsin genes in its genome
  (2 cone + 38 rod opsins)\, and has the highest number of visual opsins kn
 own for animals so far. We found that 14 RH1 genes are simultaneously expr
 essed in the morphologically unique retina this species. The in-vitro synt
 hesis and functional prediction revealed that these genes encode for photo
 pigments with different spectral sensitivities (λmax spanning 65 nm)\, co
 vering efficiently the range of the residual daylight in the deep sea\, as
  well as bioluminescence emitted from deep-sea organisms. We tested for th
 e putative function of such unique set-up: does such system serve to colou
 r vision\, or rather to boost sensitivity within the entire light spectrum
  in the depth? In any case\, we present the first molecular evidence for e
 xclusive multiple (>3) rod-opsin-based vision among vertebrates\, and not 
 surprisingly such system has been discovered in the fascinating deep-sea f
 ishes constantly challenged by their extreme environment.\n
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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