Meeting Abstract
Stomatopods possess one of the most intricate visual systems in nature. Their stalked eyes move independently and have multiple spectral and polarization channels, with some species possessing up to 16 spectrally unique photoreceptors and 33 opsin proteins. Amazingly the complex retina responsible for these abilities forms over a short period, sometimes within a few days, during the last phase of larval development. Growth of the adult retina is accompanied by a gradual degeneration of the larval retina. Very little is known about visual systems in larval or embryonic stomatopods despite the fact that retinas begin to form early in embryonic development. Using transcriptomic analyses, we aim to identify the opsin proteins expressed at embryonic, larval, and adult developmental stages of Pullosquilla thomassini, a species which possesses the most complex of stomatopod eye types, and use this information to describe how the stomatopod sensory system develops. Transcriptomes of retinal tissue from four embryonic stages, a larval stage, and an adult have been assembled using trinity. Preliminary data suggests that adult P. thomassini possess ten middle-wavelength sensitive and six long wavelength sensitive opsins. In addition to opsins we have also found evidence for the expression of other phototransduction genes including Gqα, TRP channels, and arrestin proteins. With this information we are able to produce a complete picture of the visual signaling cascade. The visual genes expressed in adult P. thomassini provide a template to which we can compare future transcriptomes of larval opsin expression. Continuing studies will incorporate transcriptomes from additional larval stages to create a clearer picture of developmental transitions in stomatopod vision.
