How mantis shrimp compound
eye recognizes circularly polarized light
Lou Fangrui1, Qu Xiuyu1,
Celia Schunter2,
Wang Lin3, Tang Yongzheng1, Han
Zhiqiang4*, Kang Bin5*
1 School of Ocean, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, 264005, China
2 Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The
University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
SAR, China
3 Key Laboratory of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong,
266071, China
4 Fishery College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang,
316022, China
5 Fisheries College, Ocean
University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
*Corresponding author: Zhiqiang Han, Fishery College,
Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, 316022, China, Email:d6339124@163.com; Bin Kang,
Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003,
China, Email: binkang@163.com.
Abstract :
The
mantis shrimps are the only animal species known to science that can
recognize circularly polarized light (CPL). Here we explored the
morphological and molecular mechanisms of CPL recognition inOratosquilla oratoria, a
typical species of mantis shrimps. Through multilayer microscopy, we
discovered the cross-arranged
microvilli and the oval distal rhabdom to be the critical structures for
CPL recognition. Based on the specific expression patterns of
vision-related functional genes and proteins, we suggest that the order
of light utilization by O. oratoria compound eye was first
natural light, then left-rotation CPL (LCPL), linearly polarized light,
right-rotation CPL (RCPL) and dark. Meanwhile, we found that the
expression levels of vision-related functional genes and proteins inO. oratoria compound eye under RCPL were not significantly
different from those in DL, and thus provide additional evidence that
mantis shrimp can only recognize LCPL.
Furthermore, the recognition of
LCPL is likely facilitated by the differential expression of opsin and
microvilli - related functional genes and proteins (arrestin and
sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter).
In conclusion, this study
systematically illustrated for the first time how O. oratoriacompound eye recognizes CPL, and it can improve the visual ecological
theory behind polarized light recognition.
Key words :Oratosquilla oratoria ;
rhabdom; microvilli; opsin; visual
ecology.