Review of the firefly visual system (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and evolution of the opsin genes underlying color vision
- PDF / 1,362,202 Bytes
- 14 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 54 Downloads / 153 Views
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Review of the firefly visual system (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and evolution of the opsin genes underlying color vision Gavin J. Martin 1 & Nathan P. Lord 1 & Marc A. Branham 2 & Seth M. Bybee 1
Received: 23 October 2014 / Accepted: 10 April 2015 # Gesellschaft für Biologische Systematik 2015
Abstract Among insects, opsin copy number variation has been shown to be quite diverse. However, within the beetles, very little work on opsins has been conducted. Here, we look at the visual system of fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), which offer an elegant system in which to study visual evolution as it relates to their behavior and broader ecology. They are the best-known case of a terrestrial organism that communicates through the use bioluminescence. The molecular basis for this communication is relatively simple: one gene family (opsins) controls the detection of the signal, and one gene family (luciferase) controls the production of the signal. We use a transcriptomic approach to sample for and investigate opsin evolution in fireflies. We also use a phylogenetic estimate of Lampyridae to examine the evolution and ancestral modality of adult courtship communication. We find evidence for only two expressed opsin classes in each of the nine firefly species studied, one in the ultraviolet-sensitive and one in the long-wavelength-sensitive areas of the visible spectrum. Bioluminescent communication in adults is not optimized to be present ancestrally, and was gained two times with six subsequent losses. Despite the need for most adult fireflies to respond to a clearly sexual and colorful visual signal (bioluminescence) to maximize fitness, their visual system is relatively simple, and does not match the trend for opsin duplication found in other insect groups.
* Gavin J. Martin [email protected] 1
Department of Biology, 4102 LSB, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
2
Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Keywords Phylogeny . Coleoptera . Lampyridae . Opsin . Transcriptome . Bioluminescence
Introduction Vision plays a central role in the lives of most animals. From predator avoidance to prey detection, from mate to habitat selection, the ability to sense one’s surroundings using visual cues has long fascinated scientists (Warrant and Nilsson 2006). The components of visual communication between animals can be extremely complicated for scientists to tease apart. When one considers the need for animals to discriminate what signal is being transmitted, what medium or media the signal is being transmitted through, and how the signal is being perceived, there are so many variables that the study of vision in its totality can seem daunting. However, the presence of visual pigments allows for a more direct, preliminary examination and understanding of visual communication. Visual pigments are composed of an opsin protein covalently bound to a chromophore, the specific molecule responsible for light absorption (Wald 1967)
Data Loading...
