[Changes in the functional characteristics of the compound eye of the honeybee after mutations interfering with the metabolism of tryptophan].

Abstract

The compound eye of worker honeybees with a genetic interruption of the ommochrome synthesis from tryptophan (mutations snow an laranja) showed a sharp increase in light sensitivity, more than 100-fold in snow and more than 10-fold in laranja with respect to the wild bee eye. Peaks of the spectral sensitivity curves recorded using ERG were shifted to 530 nm in snow and 550 nm in laranja while in the wild type it was at 545 nm. An unusual shape of the ERG in the both mutants was shown to result from an additional component of the receptor potential, the spike, which has been never observed in the normal bee eye. Since the pigment granules of ommatidium in both snow and laranja were strongly defective or immature due to blocking a normal process of ommochrome formation, It is suggested that the ommochrome granules, apart of their light protective functions, can be involved in biochemical process underlying the electrical passivity of the photoreceptor membrane.

• Authors: F G Gribakin, E G Chesnokova
• Journal: Neirofiziologiia = Neurophysiology (Neirofiziologiia) Vol. 14 Issue 1 Pg. 69-75 ( 1982) ISSN: 0028-2561 [Print] Ukraine
• Vernacular Title: Izmenenie funktsional'nykh kharakteristik slozhnogo glaza medonosnoĭ pchely vsledstvie mutatsiĭ, narushaiushchikh obmen triptofana.
• PMID: 7063085 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Retinal Pigments
• Tryptophan

Topics

• Animals
• Bees (genetics, physiology)
• Electrophysiology
• Mutation
• Photoreceptor Cells (physiology)
• Retinal Pigments (genetics, physiology)
• Tryptophan (genetics)
• Vision, Ocular (physiology)