草原沙蜥顶眼组织结构的半薄切片观察

草原沙蜥顶眼的角膜是由位于顶眼部位的皮肤特化形成，皮肤细胞色素消失，外表面的立方形细胞变为扁平细胞，其下的基质逐渐增厚，纤维增多，透明成角膜。晶状体与角膜紧密相贴，由交错排列的的几层柱状细胞组成，视网膜和晶状体相连，由感光细胞，色素细胞和神经节细胞组成，在由晶状体和视网膜围成的眼腔中，有玻璃体样结构分布，偶见有散在的细胞位于玻璃体样结构中。     

A rhodopsin is the functional photoreceptor for phototaxis in the unicellular eukaryote Chlamydomonas

Rhodopsin is a visual pigment ubiquitous in multicellular animals. If visual pigments have a common ancient origin, as is believed, then some unicellular organisms might also use a rhodopsin photoreceptor. We show here that the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas does indeed use a rhodopsin photoreceptor. We incorporated analogues of its retinal chromophore into a blind mutant; normal photobehaviour was restored and the colour of maximum sensitivity was shifted in a manner consistent with the nature of the retinal analogue added. The data suggest that 11-cis-retinal is the natural chromophore and that the protein environment of this retinal is similar to that found in bovine rhodopsin, suggesting homology with the rhodopsins of higher organisms. This is the first demonstration of a rhodopsin photoreceptor in an alga or eukaryotic protist and also the first report of behavioural spectral shifts caused by exogenous synthetic retinals in a eukaryote. A survey of the morphology and action spectra of other protists suggests that rhodopsins may be common photoreceptors of chlorophycean, prasinophycean and dinophycean algae. Thus, Chlamydomonas represents a useful new model for studying photoreceptor cells.     

不同Ca~(2+)浓度对斑节对虾光感受器细胞内储存的Ca~(2+)的影响

应用草酸-焦锑酸盐结合的沉淀技术研究了在不同Ca^2 浓度条件下斑节对虾光感受器细胞胞内储存的Ca^2 的变化，电镜观察表明：在高钙溶液培育后，细胞内的多囊体、色素颗粒、板膜体中都存在大量的焦锑酸钙沉淀的黑色颗粒，线粒体中则无；在生理溶液培育后，线粒体中出现沉淀，而其他Ca^2 储存器中焦锑酸钙沉淀的黑色颗粒则大量减少，低钙溶液培育后焦锑酸钙沉淀的黑色颗粒情况与生理溶液条件下的相似，研究证实光感受器细胞内储存的Ca^2 受到胞外Ca^2 浓度的影响。     

暗适应和光适应时三疣梭子蟹光感受器超微结构的比较

用透射电镜研究了暗适应和光适应的三疣梭子蟹（Portunus tritubereulatus）光感受器的超微结构．结果显示出暗适应时,感杆束的直径大,微绒毛整齐,膜下潴泡囊的体积较小,线粒体、内质网等细胞器较多,色素颗粒位于细胞各处．在光适应时,感杆束的直径小,微绒毛凌乱,膜下潴泡囊的体积较大,板膜体、多囊体、溶酶体等细胞器较多,色素颗粒位于细胞远端接近细胞核层面;另外,微绒毛基部的胞饮泡数量、递质样颗粒以及其他细胞器的分布,暗适应和光适应的光感受器也有着较明显的差异．     

Photoreceptor-specific degeneration caused by tunicamycin

The antibiotic tunicamycin inhibits the biosynthesis of N-acetylglucosaminylpyrophosphoryl polyisoprenol, a key intermediate in the formation of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins. The effects of tunicamycin have been studied in various biological systems, primarily with the aim of elucidating the role of the carbohydrate moieties in the cellular function of glycoproteins. Rhodopsin, the visual pigment of retinal rod photoreceptor cells, is a membrane glycoprotein which consists of a single polypeptide chain (opsin) to which a chromophoric prosthetic group (II-cis-retinaldehyde) and two asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chains are covalently attached. The glycosylation of opsin can be blocked with tunicamycin in vitro in conditions where polypeptide synthesis is only slightly decreased. We have reported that tunicamycin can disrupt the normal assembly of rod outer segment membranes in vitro without significantly inhibiting the biosynthesis or intracellular transport of opsin. Here we report that intraocular injection of tunicamycin produces a photoreceptor-specific degeneration characterized by progressive shortening of rod outer segment, decreased membrane assembly, and eventual photoreceptor cell death.     

不同光适应的中华绒螯蟹光感受器超微结构在昼夜中的变化

用透射电镜研究了一昼夜不同时间中光适应和暗适应的中华绒螯蟹光感受器的超微结构．结果显示出在感杆束的直径,膜下潴泡囊的体积、微纤毛基部的胞饮泡数量、色素样颗粒的位置以及有无脂滴、板膜体和溶酶体等细胞器方面,光适应和暗适应的光感受器有着明显的差异．在同一种适应状态中,中午和夜晚时的小网膜感杆束的体积较小,相应的细胞结构如胞质中的空泡、板膜体等与黎明和傍晚时的结构相比变化较大．虽然光感受器处于一个稳定的适应状态,但是在一昼夜中光感受器有着自己的节律变化．     

Retinal receptors in rodents maximally sensitive to ultraviolet light

High sensitivity to near-ultraviolet light is a fundamental feature of vision in many invertebrates. Among vertebrates there are some amphibians, birds and fishes that are also sensitive to near-ultraviolet wavelengths. This sensitivity can be achieved through a class of cone photoreceptor containing an ultraviolet-sensitive pigment. Although these receptors were thought not to exist in the eyes of mammals, we now report that some rodents have a retinal mechanism that is maximally sensitive to ultraviolet light.     

A three-base-pair deletion in the peripherin-RDS gene in one form of retinitis pigmentosa.

The group of retinopathies termed retinitis pigmentosa (RP) greatly contribute to visual dysfunction in man with a frequency of roughly 1 in 4,000. We mapped the first autosomal dominant RP (adRP) gene to chromosome 3q, close to the gene encoding rhodopsin, a rod photoreceptor pigment protein. Subsequently, mutations in this gene have been implicated as responsible for some forms of adRP. Another adRP gene has been mapped to chromosome 8p. A third adRP gene in a large Irish pedigree has been mapped to chromosome 6p, showing tight linkage with the gene for peripherin, a photoreceptor cell-specific glycoprotein, which is thus a strong candidate for the defective gene. We have now identified a three-base-pair deletion which results in the loss of one of a pair of highly conserved cysteine residues in the predicted third transmembrane domain of peripherin. This deletion segregates with the disease phenotype but is not present in unaffected controls, and suggests that mutant peripherin gives rise to retinitis pigmentosa.     

Restoration of vision after transplantation of photoreceptors

Cell transplantation is a potential strategy for treating blindness caused by the loss of photoreceptors. Although transplanted rod-precursor cells are able to migrate into the adult retina and differentiate to acquire the specialized morphological features of mature photoreceptor cells, the fundamental question remains whether transplantation of photoreceptor cells can actually improve vision. Here we provide evidence of functional rod-mediated vision after photoreceptor transplantation in adult Gnat1?/? mice, which lack rod function and are a model of congenital stationary night blindness. We show that transplanted rod precursors form classic triad synaptic connections with second-order bipolar and horizontal cells in the recipient retina. The newly integrated photoreceptor cells are light-responsive with dim-flash kinetics similar to adult wild-type photoreceptors. By using intrinsic imaging under scotopic conditions we demonstrate that visual signals generated by transplanted rods are projected to higher visual areas, including V1. Moreover, these cells are capable of driving optokinetic head tracking and visually guided behaviour in the Gnat1?/? mouse under scotopic conditions. Together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of photoreceptor transplantation as a therapeutic strategy for restoring vision after retinal degeneration.     

Photoreceptor degeneration in inherited retinal dystrophy delayed by basic fibroblast growth factor

Numerous inherited retinal degenerations exist in animals and humans, in which photoreceptors inexplicably degenerate and disappear. In RCS rats with inherited retinal dystrophy, the mutant gene is expressed in the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell, and leads to the loss of photoreceptor cells. Photoreceptors can be rescued from degeneration if they are juxtaposed to wild-type RPE cells in experimental chimaeras or by the transplantation of RPE cells from normal rats. In both cases, the rescue effect extends beyond the immediate boundaries of the normal RPE cells, suggesting trophic action of a diffusible factor(s) from the normal RPE cells. We considered that the fibroblast growth factors, aFGF and bFGF, might have such a trophic role as they are found in the retina and RPE cells; bFGF acts as a neurotrophic agent after axonal injury in several regions of the central nervous system, and bFGF induces retinal regeneration from developing RPE cells. Here we report that subretinal injection of bFGF results in extensive rescue of photoreceptors in RCS rats for at least two months after the injection, and that intravitreal injection of bFGF results in even more widespread rescue, across almost the entire retina. The findings demonstrate for the first time that bFGF can act as a survival-promoting neurotrophic factor in a hereditary neuronal degeneration of the central nervous system.     

A cyclic GMP-activated channel in dissociated cells of the chick pineal gland.

Phototransduction in the vertebrate retina is dependent in part on a cyclic GMP-activated ionic channel in the plasma membrane of rods and cones. But other vertebrate cells are also photosensitive. Cells of the chick pineal gland have a photosensitive circadian rhythm in melatonin secretion that persists in dissociated cell culture. Exposure to light causes inhibition of melatonin secretion, and entrainment of the intrinsic circadian oscillator. Chick pinealocytes express several 'retinal' proteins, including arrestin, transducin and a protein similar to the visual pigment rhodopsin. Pinealocytes of lower vertebrates display hyperpolarizing responses to brief pulses of light. Thus it is possible that some of the mechanisms of phototransduction are similar in retinal and pineal photoreceptors. We report here the first recordings of cyclic GMP-activated channels in an extraretinal photoreceptor. Application of GMP, but not cyclic AMP, to excised inside-out patches caused activation of a 15-25 pS cationic channel. These channels may be essential for phototransduction in the chick pineal gland.     

多目涡虫眼点数目与体长的关系

淡水涡虫眼点结构简单,特别是多目涡虫,每个眼点仅有一个视神经细胞和一个色素细胞构成,是研究眼点起源和进化的好材料.本文以采自秦岭山脉和太行山脉的多目涡虫为研究材料,利用统计学方法探讨了多目涡虫眼点数目和体长以及海拔高度之间的关系,研究发现:多目涡虫体长与相应眼点个数呈显著正相关;同一山脉多目涡虫随着采集地海拔高度增加,相似体长的涡虫眼点数也相应增多.本研究以期为研究眼点的起源和进化提供基础资料.     

Phototropin-related NPL1 controls chloroplast relocation induced by blue light

In photosynthetic cells, chloroplasts migrate towards illuminated sites to optimize photosynthesis and move away from excessively illuminated areas to protect the photosynthetic machinery. Although this movement of chloroplasts in response to light has been known for over a century, the photoreceptor mediating this process has not been identified. The Arabidopsis gene NPL1 (ref. 2) is a paralogue of the NPH1 gene, which encodes phototropin, a photoreceptor for phototropic bending. Here we show that NPL1 is required for chloroplast relocation induced by blue light. A loss-of-function npl1 mutant showed no chloroplast avoidance response in strong blue light, whereas the accumulation of chloroplasts in weak light was normal. These results indicate that NPL1 may function as a photoreceptor mediating chloroplast relocation.     

Ultraviolet vision in a bat

Most mammals, with the exception of primates, have dichromatic vision and correspondingly limited colour perception. Ultraviolet vision was discovered in mammals only a decade ago, and in the few rodents and marsupials where it has been found, ultraviolet light is detected by an independent photoreceptor. Bats orient primarily by echolocation, but they also use vision. Here we show that a phyllostomid flower bat, Glossophaga soricina, is colour-blind but sensitive to ultraviolet light down to a wavelength of 310 nm. Behavioural experiments revealed a spectral-sensitivity function with maxima at 510 nm (green) and above 365 nm (ultraviolet). A test for colour vision was negative. Chromatic adaptation had the same threshold-elevating effects on ultraviolet and visible test lights, indicating that the same photoreceptor is responsible for both response peaks (ultraviolet and green). Thus, excitation of the beta-band of the visual pigment is the most likely cause of ultraviolet sensitivity. This is a mechanism for ultraviolet vision that has not previously been demonstrated in intact mammalian visual systems.     

Identification of a photoreceptor-specific mRNA encoded by the gene responsible for retinal degeneration slow (rds)

Mutant mice homozygous for 'retinal degeneration slow' (rds/rds) are characterized phenotypically by abnormal development of photoreceptor outer segments in the retina, followed by gradual degeneration of photoreceptors. This process of degeneration is complete by one year, with preservation of all other retinal cells. The biochemical defect that leads to the mutant phenotype is not known. Our strategy for cloning the rds gene was based upon three previously reported observations. First, the rds locus maps to chromosome 17. Second, experimental rds/rds----+/+ and rds/+----+/+ tetra-parental mice manifest patchy photoreceptor changes in the retina, suggesting that the wild-type rds locus is expressed within cells of the photoreceptor lineage. Finally, the process of degeneration is specific to photoreceptors. On the basis of these observations, we predicted that the rds mRNA is encoded by a gene on chromosome 17 and is normally expressed exclusively within photoreceptors in the retina. We here present evidence that this is the case.     

GABA and GAD immunoreactivity of photoreceptor terminals in primate retina

Within the vertebrate retina, two types of photoreceptor cells--the rods and cones--transduce visual signals and convey this information through synapses with bipolar and horizontal cells. Although the neurotransmitter at these first-order synapses has not been identified, electrophysiological studies suggest that it might be excitatory. In the present study, however, we have found photoreceptor terminals in the rhesus monkey retina which are immunoreactive with antibodies to either gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of GABA). In the perifoveal region of the retina, approximately 25% of presynaptic profiles having ultrastructural characteristics of either rod or cone terminals are immunoreactive with one or the other antibody. This evidence for a putatively inhibitory neurotransmitter in photoreceptor terminals challenges present understanding of retinal synaptic function.     

文昌鱼感光细胞中环核苷酸磷酸二酯酶的亚细胞定位

本文用电镜细胞化学的方法,在文昌鱼感光细胞中定位环核苷酸磷酸二酯酶(cNt-PDE).根据反应产物的沉淀颗粒分布特征,很明显该酶主要分布在微绒毛膜、管状结构膜和线粒体膜上;少量散布于细胞质的液相中.用无底物、无碱性磷酸酶或再加抑制剂的反应液作对照,证明所用的方法有特异性.愈远离微绒毛区,酶的反应产物愈少.在靠近微绒毛的色素细胞膜上也有串珠状的沉淀颗粒分布.感光细胞的突触末端也有较强的阳性反应.此外,还讨论了cNt-PDE亚细胞定位和意义.     

Activation of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism by calcium ions in Limulus ventral photoreceptor

Cells regulate their metabolic energy production to meet the requirements of their energy consuming activities. For most animal cells the prime site of energy production, in the form of ATP, is the mitochondrion. Extensive in vitro studies of isolated mitochondria have provided detailed information about the specific biochemical reactions involved in energy production. At present there is a debate about whether respiration in excitable cells is controlled by the availability of ADP to the mitochondrion and/or by calcium ions. Using the large ventral photoreceptor of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) we describe a method for measuring the transient increase in the mitochondrial O2 consumption (delta QO2) following a flash of light of a single photoreceptor. We then show that this delta QO2 results in part from a rise in the intracellular concentration of calcium (Cai).     

Retinal degeneration in the rd mouse is caused by a defect in the beta subunit of rod cGMP-phosphodiesterase

Mice homozygous for the rd mutation display hereditary retinal degeneration and the classic rd lines serve as a model for human retinitis pigmentosa. In affected animals the retinal rod photoreceptor cells begin degenerating at about postnatal day 8, and by four weeks no photoreceptors are left. Degeneration is preceded by accumulation of cyclic GMP in the retina and is correlated with deficient activity of the rod photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase. We have recently isolated a candidate complementary DNA for the rd gene from a mouse retinal library and completed the characterization of cDNAs encoding all subunits of bovine photoreceptor phosphodiesterase. The candidate cDNA shows strong homology with a cDNA encoding the bovine phosphodiesterase beta subunit. Here we present evidence that the candidate cDNA is the murine homologue of bovine phosphodiesterase beta cDNA. We conclude that the mouse rd locus encodes the rod photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase beta subunit.