Retinal specialization through spatially varying cell densities and opsin coexpression in cichlid fish.

ABSTRACT: The distinct behaviours of animals and the varied habitats in which animals live place different requirements on their visual systems. A trade-off exists between resolution and sensitivity, with these properties varying across the retina. Spectral sensitivity, which affects both achromatic and chromatic (colour) vision, also varies across the retina, though the function of this inhomogeneity is less clear. We previously demonstrated spatially varying spectral sensitivity of double cones in the cichlid fish Metriaclima zebra owing to coexpression of different opsins. Here, we map the distributions of ganglion cells and cone cells and quantify opsin coexpression in single cones to show these also vary across the retina. We identify an area centralis with peak acuity and infrequent coexpressi

SUBMITTER: Dalton BE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6514458 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature