Visual pigment spectra of the comma butterfly,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Polygonia c-album</Emphasis>, derived from in vivo epi-illumination microspectrophotometry |
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Authors: | Kurt?J?A?Vanhoutte Email author" target="_blank">Doekele?G?StavengaEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Neurobiophysics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 Groningen, the Netherlands;(2) Present address: Department of Ophthalmology (813), Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 9101, 6500 Nijmegen, the Netherlands |
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Abstract: | The visual pigments in the compound eye of the comma butterfly, Polygonia c-album, were investigated in a specially designed epi-illumination microspectrophotometer. Absorption changes due to photochemical conversions of the visual pigments, or due to light-independent visual pigment decay and regeneration, were studied by measuring the eye shine, i.e., the light reflected from the tapetum located in each ommatidium proximal to the visual pigment-bearing rhabdom. The obtained absorbance difference spectra demonstrated the dominant presence of a green visual pigment. The rhodopsin and its metarhodopsin have absorption peak wavelengths at 532 nm and 492 nm, respectively. The metarhodopsin is removed from the rhabdom with a time constant of 15 min and the rhodopsin is regenerated with a time constant of 59 min (room temperature). A UV rhodopsin with metarhodopsin absorbing maximally at 467 nm was revealed, and evidence for a blue rhodopsin was obtained indirectly. |
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Keywords: | Color Vision Insect Compound eye Eye shine Rhodopsin |
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