TY - JOUR
T1 - A green cone-like pigment in the 'blind' mole-rat Spalax ehrenbergi
T2 - Functional expression and photochemical characterization
AU - Janssen, Jannie W.H.
AU - David-Gray, Zoë K.
AU - Bovee-Geurts, Petra H.M.
AU - Nevo, Eviatar
AU - Foster, Russell G.
AU - DeGrip, Willem J.
PY - 2003/12
Y1 - 2003/12
N2 - The degenerate subcutaneous eye of the blind mole rat belonging to the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies has been shown to contain a long wavelength sensitive (LWS) cone pigment. Baculovirus expression of this LWS pigment and subsequent IMAC purification yields a photosensitive protein, that according to absorbance maximum (530 ± 2 nm), kinetics of late phototransitions, and transducin activation, has all characteristics of a functional green cone pigment. The absorbance spectrum of the Spalax pigment is strongly red-shifted relative to the very homologous mouse, rabbit and rat green cone pigments (508-510 nm). Also in contrast to the rodent pigments, the Spalax pigment exhibits anion-dependent spectral properties, displaying a 12 nm blue-shift upon substitution of chloride ions by nitrate ions. Finally, the slow part of the photocascade deviates in some aspects from that of sighted mammals. The possible relevance of these findings for the evolutionary adaptation of Spalax to a subterranean ecotope is discussed.
AB - The degenerate subcutaneous eye of the blind mole rat belonging to the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies has been shown to contain a long wavelength sensitive (LWS) cone pigment. Baculovirus expression of this LWS pigment and subsequent IMAC purification yields a photosensitive protein, that according to absorbance maximum (530 ± 2 nm), kinetics of late phototransitions, and transducin activation, has all characteristics of a functional green cone pigment. The absorbance spectrum of the Spalax pigment is strongly red-shifted relative to the very homologous mouse, rabbit and rat green cone pigments (508-510 nm). Also in contrast to the rodent pigments, the Spalax pigment exhibits anion-dependent spectral properties, displaying a 12 nm blue-shift upon substitution of chloride ions by nitrate ions. Finally, the slow part of the photocascade deviates in some aspects from that of sighted mammals. The possible relevance of these findings for the evolutionary adaptation of Spalax to a subterranean ecotope is discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=3042789553&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1039/b300059c
DO - 10.1039/b300059c
M3 - Article
C2 - 14717222
AN - SCOPUS:3042789553
SN - 1474-905X
VL - 2
SP - 1287
EP - 1291
JO - Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences
JF - Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences
IS - 12
ER -