Optical plasticity in the crystalline lenses of the cichlid fish Aequidens pulcher

Current Biology : CB
J Marcus SchartauRonald H H Kröger

Abstract

One of the reasons that the crystalline lenses of vertebrate eyes are highly transparent is that most of the cells have broken down all of their organelles, including the nuclei. These cells can neither synthesize new proteins nor generate energy by electron transport in the mitochondria. Only in the peripheral layers--in the cichlid fish Aequidens pulcher, beyond 92% of the lens radius--are there cells with full complements of organelles. We report here that the optical properties of the lens change between the light-adapted and dark-adapted states in A. pulcher. Changes occur even in cell layers free of organelles, and they occur in parallel with changes in retinal function between the light-adapted (all-cone, color vision) and dark-adapted (all-rod, grayscale vision) states. Depleting the eye of dopamine also caused changes in the optical properties similar to those of dark adaptation. Our results indicate that the refractive index of the organelle-free lens fiber cells can be adjusted quickly and accurately.

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Citations

May 11, 2010·PloS One·J Marcus SchartauBodil Sjögreen
Sep 23, 2014·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Mikael JönssonRonald H H Kröger
Oct 23, 2013·Current Eye Research·Ranjay ChakrabortyMichael J Collins
Nov 26, 2016·Radiation Protection Dosimetry·E Forssell-Aronsson, R A Quinlan
Sep 6, 2017·Nature Communications·Tsuyoshi ShimmuraTakashi Yoshimura
Dec 4, 2012·Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, Image Science, and Vision·Yakir GagnonRonald Kröger
Aug 5, 2014·Applied Optics·Yakir Luc GagnonSönke Johnsen
Sep 9, 2016·Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, Image Science, and Vision·Yakir Luc GagnonShelby Eric Temple
Mar 21, 2021·Scientific Reports·Cait NewportTheresa Burt de Perera
Jul 29, 2011·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Yakir L GagnonRonald H H Kröger

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