Skip to main content
Log in

Changes in electrophysiological properties of photoreceptors in Periplaneta americana associated with the loss of screening pigment

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Comparative Physiology A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Absence of screening pigment in insect compound eyes has been linked to visual dysfunction. We investigated how its loss in a white-eyed mutant (W-E) alters the photoreceptor electrophysiological properties, opsin gene expression, and the behavior of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of green-sensitive photoreceptors in W-E cockroaches gave reduced membrane capacitance, absolute sensitivity to light, and light-induced currents. Decreased low-pass filtering increased voltage-bump amplitudes in W-E photoreceptors. Intracellular recordings showed that angular sensitivity of W-E photoreceptors had two distinct components: a large narrow component with the same acceptance angle as wild type, plus a relatively small wide component. Information processing was evaluated using Gaussian white-noise modulated light stimulation. In bright light, W-E photoreceptors demonstrated higher signal gain and signal power than wild-type photoreceptors. Expression levels of the primary UV- and green-sensitive opsins were lower and the secondary green-sensitive opsin significantly higher in W-E than in wild-type retinae. In behavioral experiments, W-E cockroaches were significantly less active in dim green light, consistent with the relatively low light sensitivity of their photoreceptors. Overall, these differences can be related to the loss of screening pigment function and to a compensatory decrease in the rhabdomere size in W-E retinae.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CL:

Constant light

CD:

Constant dark

C m :

Whole-cell membrane capacitance

IR:

Information rate

Kv :

Voltage-gated K+ current or conductance

LIC:

Light-induced current

W-E:

White-eyed

References

Download references

Funding

The work was supported by State budget grant of Russian Federation #АААА-А18-118013090245-6 to MZ and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Grants RGPIN/05565 (to P. H. Torkkeli) and RGPIN/03712 (to A. S. French).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roman V. Frolov.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

No competing interests declared.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Saari, P., Immonen, EV., Kemppainen, J. et al. Changes in electrophysiological properties of photoreceptors in Periplaneta americana associated with the loss of screening pigment. J Comp Physiol A 204, 915–928 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-018-1290-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-018-1290-0

Keywords

Navigation