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Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 

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A fully functional rod visual pigment in a blind mammal. A case for adaptive functional reorganization?

In the blind subterranean mole rat Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies complete ablation of the visual image-forming capability has been accompanied by an expansion of the bilateral projection from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. We have cloned the open reading frame of a visual pigment from Spalax that shows >90% homology with mammalian rod pigments. Baculovirus expression yields a membrane protein with all functional characteristics of a rod visual pigment (lambda(max) = 497 +/- 2 nm; pK(a) of meta I/meta II equilibrium = 6.5; rapid activation of transducin in the light). We not only provide evidence that this Spalax rod pigment is fully functional in vitro but also show that all requirements for a functional pigment are present in vivo. The physiological consequences of this unexpected finding are discussed. One attractive option is that during adaptation to a subterranean lifestyle, the visual system of this mammal has undergone mosaic reorganization, and the visual pigments have adapted to a function in circadian photoreception.[1]

References

  1. A fully functional rod visual pigment in a blind mammal. A case for adaptive functional reorganization? Janssen, J.W., Bovee-Geurts, P.H., Peeters, Z.P., Bowmaker, J.K., Cooper, H.M., David-Gray, Z.K., Nevo, E., DeGrip, W.J. J. Biol. Chem. (2000) [Pubmed]
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