A single-cell atlas of the bobtail squid visual and nervous system highlights molecular principles of convergent evolution.

ABSTRACT: The cephalopod and vertebrate visual systems are a textbook example of convergent evolution with unknown molecular underpinnings. Here we characterize 98,537 single-cell transcriptomes in the bobtail squid Euprymna berryi to understand how the cephalopod retina and optic lobes relate to the vertebrate retina. We confirm the overall relative simplicity of the cephalopod retina but identify two related photoreceptor cell subtypes expressing distinct r-opsins. By contrast, the adult optic lobe contains a diverse repertoire of neuronal and glial cell types, with a predominance of dopaminergic neurons. We show that cephalopod-specific gene duplicates probably contributed to this cell type diversification. Comparing neuronal cell population in the optic lobes of hatchlings and adults, we reveal

SUBMITTER: Gavriouchkina D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12240821 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature