Evolution of visual opsin gene expression through gene duplication manifested in fish and primates

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Functional differentiation of visual opsin genes through gene duplication was investigated for fish and primates as a study model, in terms of differentiation in gene expression and absorption spectra. We contributed to understanding of retinal development by visualizing a subset of photoreceptor cells through opsin-class-specific promoters. We found that guppy LWS opsin genes have undergone genetic differentiation among wild populations. We showed that L and M opsin genes of primates have experienced homogenization between them by gene conversion in introns and hybridization, while spectral difference between L and M opsins appear to have been maintained by purifying selection.