Genetics, Vol. 153, 1839-1850, December 1999, Copyright © 1999

Genetic Analyses of Visual Pigments of the Pigeon (Columba livia)

Shoji Kawamuraa,b, Nathan S. Blowa, and Shozo Yokoyamaa
a Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244
b Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

Corresponding author: Shozo Yokoyama, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 130 College Pl., Syracuse, NY 13244., syokoyam{at}mailbox.syr.edu (E-mail)

Communicating editor: N. TAKAHATA

We isolated five classes of retinal opsin genes rh1Cl, rh2Cl, sws1Cl, sws2Cl, and lwsCl from the pigeon; these encode RH1Cl, RH2Cl, SWS1Cl, SWS2Cl, and LWSCl opsins, respectively. Upon binding to 11-cis-retinal, these opsins regenerate the corresponding photosensitive molecules, visual pigments. The absorbance spectra of visual pigments have a broad bell shape with the peak, being called {lambda}max. Previously, the SWS1Cl opsin cDNA was isolated from the pigeon retinal RNA, expressed in cultured COS1 cells, reconstituted with 11-cis-retinal, and the {lambda}max of the resulting SWS1Cl pigment was shown to be 393 nm. In this article, using the same methods, the {lambda}max values of RH1Cl, RH2Cl, SWS2Cl, and LWSCl pigments were determined to be 502, 503, 448, and 559 nm, respectively. The pigeon is also known for its UV vision, detecting light at 320–380 nm. Being the only pigments that absorb light below 400 nm, the SWS1Cl pigments must mediate its UV vision. We also determined that a nonretinal PCl pigment in the pineal gland of the pigeon has a {lambda}max value at 481 nm.




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