Assessing the use of genomic DNA as a predictor of the maximum absorbance wavelength of avian SWS1 opsin visual pigments

• Recently, in vitro mutation studies have made it possible to predict the wavelengths of maximum absorbance (λmax) of avian UV/violet sensitive visual pigments (SWS1) from the identity of a few key amino acid residues in the opsin gene. Given that the absorbance spectrum of a cone's visual pigment and of its pigmented oil droplet can be predicted from just the λmax, it may become possible to predict the entire spectral sensitivity of a bird using genetic samples from live birds or museum specimens. However, whilst this concept is attractive, it must be validated to assess the reliability of the predictions of λmax from opsin amino acid sequences. In this paper, we have obtained partial sequences covering three of the known spectral tuning sites in the SWS1 opsin and predicted λmax of all bird species for which the spectral absorbance has been measured using microspectrophotometry. Our results validate the use of molecular data from genomic DNA to predict the gross differences in λmax between the violet- and ultraviolet-sensitive subtypes of SWS1 opsin. Additionally, we demonstrate that a bird, the bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus L., can have more than one SWS1 visual pigment in its retina.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Colour vision

Microspectrophotometry

MSP

Ultraviolet sensitive

Violet sensitive

Molecular biology

Molekylärbiologi

Biology with specialization in Comparative Physiology

Biologi med inriktning mot jämförande fysiologi

Biology with specialization in Molecular Biology

Biologi med inriktning mot molekylärbiologi

Biologi med inriktning mot evolutionär funktionsgenomik

Biology with specialization in Evolutionary Functional Genomics

Biology with specialization in Molecular Evolution

Biologi med inriktning mot molekylär evolution

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)