Meeting Abstract
Opsin proteins are essential molecules in animal photodetection. Together with a vitamin-A derived chromophore, opsins form the photosensitive pigments used in all known animal visual systems. More recently, opsins have been found expressed in a multitude of non-visual tissues, including skin / chromatophores, nervous systems, bioluminescent structures, and muscles. Based on the ever-increasing volume of sequence data, opsins may be even more prevalent in non-visual photodetection systems than those used in the process of image formation. To better understand the evolution of opsins in general, opsins in non-visual photodetection, and opsins used for image detection, I have mapped known extraocular and visual system opsins within opsin and taxonomic diversity. Many of the currently described opsin sequences are extraocular, with opsins used in visual systems arising at least once in every major opsin clade. Additionally, many sequences that have been characterized from genomes and large-scale tissue transcriptomes may represent even more diversity of extraocular photoreception than currently understood.
