The diversity of invertebrate visual opsins spanning Protostomia, Deuterostomia, and Cnidaria.

ABSTRACT: Across eumetazoans, the ability to perceive and respond to visual stimuli is largely mediated by opsins, a family of proteins belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superclass. Lineage-specific gains and losses led to a striking diversity in the numbers, types, and spectral sensitivities conferred by visual opsin gene expression. Here, we review the diversity of visual opsins and differences in opsin gene expression from well-studied protostome, invertebrate deuterostome, and cnidarian groups. We discuss the functional significance of opsin expression differences and spectral tuning among lineages. In some cases, opsin evolution has been linked to the detection of relevant visual signals, including sexually selected color traits and host plant features. In other instances, vari

SUBMITTER: Roberts NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10249108 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature