Seeing in the Deep: Evolution of the Opsin Gene Expression in Bermin Crater Lake Cichlids Abstract. Cichlid visual systems can evolve rapidly during adaptive radiations. The Bermin crater lake species flock in Cameroon, comprising 13 (nine valid

Kłodawska, @fishevo.bsky.social et al. examine visual opsin genes sequences and expression in Bermin crater lake cichlids, recovering little coding sequence divergence but high variation in expression profile.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf286

#evobio #molbio #cichlids #opsins

GBE | An Ocean of Opsins

@xodroont.bsky.social et al. explored the diversity and evolution of opsins using meta-omic data from the Tara Oceans and Tara Polar Circle expeditions, identifying opsins across the different metazoan groups.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf189

#genome #evolution #opsins

Tandem Gene Clusters as Phylogenetic Anchors Reveal the Hidden History of Vertebrate Visual Opsins Abstract. The expansion of the visual opsin gene family was a crucial event in the diversification of vertebrate vision in evolution. Additional expansions

Lagman, Bergqvist & Kuraku analysed opsin gene evolution in jawless vertebrates, confirming tandem duplications of visual opsins before the vertebrate radiation.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf231

#evobio #molbio #opsins

Spectral Tuning in Mammalian Melanopsins Abstract. Melanopsin is a light-sensitive G-protein coupled receptor responsible for essential visual and non-visual light-mediated behaviors in mammals. H

McDowell et al. find that melanopsin spectral sensitivity is constrained across mammalian species via molecular mechanisms that are substantially distinct from those of other opsins.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf158

#evobio #molbio #opsins

Opsins are Phospholipid Scramblases in All Domains of Life
Forest, K. T., Hardy, D. E. et al.
Paper
Details
#Opsins #PhospholipidScramblases #AllDomainsOfLife

Our new paper is out now!
We show the non-image forming role of #Rhodopsin7 in #Drosophila, expanding our understanding of #opsins beyond classical vision.
This work highlights how #Rh7 contributes to extra-retinal light sensing and plays a role in behavioral light responses.
@flyneuro.bsky.social

Evolution of the Nonvisual and Visual Opsin Gene Repertoire in Ray-Finned Fishes Abstract. Photoreception—the detection of light for image formation (vision) as well as for nonimage-forming purposes (circadian regulation and DNA repair)

Policarpo et al. analyse 535 genomes to study opsin evolution across ray-finned fishes. Visual opsins are more prone to duplications and losses than nonvisual opsins; fish that rely on electroreception show a reduction in both opsin types.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf129

#genome #evolution #opsins

Excited to at last join this community! Will be looking to connect 👀 with old and new friends #EvolutionaryBiology #SensoryBiology #Invertebrates #Insects #birds #Crustaceans and more #opsins #TRPs 🧪🧫 🦅🦋🐙🦑🦐

Our recent article on non-visual opsins in lizards - which made the May cover - is the focus of a new Highlight.

"Highlight: More Than Meets the Eye—Nonvisual Opsins Are Crucial for Light-Sensing in Vertebrates"

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf075

#genomes #opsins #vision

The tuatara and many lizards possess a parietal eye, where non-visual opsins are expressed. Romero & @fsjsouza.bsky.social compared 60+ genomes to study the evolution of non-visual opsins, suggesting a functional role associated with the parietal eye.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf058

#genomes #opsins

The May cover of Genome Biology and Evolution features the work of Romero & de Souza, who compared the genomes of lizards and the tuatara to study the evolution of non-visual opsin genes.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf058

🖌️ Eugenia Amado

#genome #opsins #vision #lizards #evolution

Deep-sea shrimp have evolved enhanced vision for the bioluminescent world, study finds Light is a primary driver of visual evolution in shrimp, according to new FIU research published this week in Nature Communications.

Deep-sea #shrimp have #evolved enhanced #vision for the #bioluminescent world, study finds.

#opsins

phys.org/news/2025-02...

Coral anthozoan-specific opsins employ a novel chloride counterion for spectral tuning Animal opsins are G protein coupled receptors that have evolved to sense light by covalently binding a retinal chromophore via a protonated (positively charged) Schiff base. A negatively charged amino...

Our latest preprint about spectroscopic properties of unique #coral #opsins has been uploaded on bioRxiv.
Coral anthozoan-specific opsins employ a novel chloride counterion for spectral tuning|
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Happy to share my paper at PNAS!
#Choriocapillaris is intrinsically sensitive to light, endowed with #Opsins, a mechanism that we show is necessary for ocular physiology and the mysterious #choroid. t.co/TcxDuuS30O

Congrats to Starla and Malin presenting on two projects on Nematostella in the lab at the UMN undergraduate research symposium! #nematostella #undergradresearch #marinebiology #visualecology #animalbehavior #opsins

Diurnal #hawkmoth #opsins evolving faster for greener #vision:

journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/225/23/jeb24...

16 years of insect #opsins from @AdrianaBriscoe: gene presence/absence to vision functional dynamics not 1:1 - lots more to learn! #EntSoc17