RUI: Functional Development of an Insect Visual System

动物眼睛中的感光细胞含有吸收光的 由一种叫做发色团的化合物制成的颜料。 这些 色素集中在致密的膜层上 在光感受器中。 组装和不断移交 膜和它们的色素可能是至关重要的功能， 视力如光适应，但周转作用不大 却又被人理解。 这个项目利用视觉的特殊属性， 昆虫系统来解决这个问题。 天蛾 曼杜卡从幼虫幼虫发育成成虫;如果 幼虫饮食缺乏发色团（维生素A相关 （3）成年人视力严重受损。 值得注意的是， 简单地“画”成人的眼睛与化合物在一个特殊的 已经发现了部分恢复视觉灵敏度解决方案。 该系统现在将用于评估发色团是如何 合成色素，发色团和膜 相互作用，以及色素如何插入膜中。 解剖学和生物化学方法将被用来检查 膜的超微结构，色素的定位， 和发色团的代谢。 该制剂提供了 一种新的方法来解决视觉的核心问题，并将 在生态学上， 昆虫的重要类群。

Photoreceptor cells in animal eyes contain light-absorbing pigments derived from compounds called chromophores. These pigments are localized on densely packed layers of membrane within the photoreceptors. Assembly and ongoing turnover of the membranes and their photopigments may be crucial to features of vision such as light adaptation, but the role of turnover is not yet well understood. This project exploits special properties of the visual system of insects for attacking this problem. The hawkmoth Manduca develops from a larval caterpillar into an adult moth; if the larva has a diet deficient in chromophores (vitamin A-related compounds), the adult has severely impaired vision. Remarkably, simply "painting" the adult eyes with the compounds in a special solution has been found to partially restore visual sensitivity. This system now will be used to assess how the chromophore is synthesized into photopigment, how the chromophore and membranes interact, and how the photopigment is inserted into the membrane. Anatomical and biochemical methods will be used to examine the membrane ultrastructure, the localization of the photopigments, and the metabolism of chromophores. This preparation provides a novel approach to address a central issue in vision, and will yield useful information on nocturnal vision in an ecologically important group of insects.