The diversity of invertebrate visual opsins spanning Protostomia, Deuterostomia, and Cnidaria

Across eumetazoans, the ability to perceive and respond to visual stimuli is largely mediated by opsins, a family of proteins belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superclass. Lineage-specific gains and losses led to a striking diversity in the numbers, types, and spectral sensitivities...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental biology 2022-12, Vol.492, p.187-199
Main Authors: Roberts, Natalie S., Hagen, Joanna F.D., Johnston, Robert J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arthropoda
C-opsin
Cnidaria - genetics
Cnidops
Evolution
Evolution, Molecular
GPCR
Invertebrate
Invertebrates
Lophotrochozoa
Opsin
Opsins - genetics
Phylogeny
R-opsin
Rod Opsins - genetics
Tetraopsin
Xenopsin
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Summary:Across eumetazoans, the ability to perceive and respond to visual stimuli is largely mediated by opsins, a family of proteins belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superclass. Lineage-specific gains and losses led to a striking diversity in the numbers, types, and spectral sensitivities conferred by visual opsin gene expression. Here, we review the diversity of visual opsins and differences in opsin gene expression from well-studied protostome, invertebrate deuterostome, and cnidarian groups. We discuss the functional significance of opsin expression differences and spectral tuning among lineages. In some cases, opsin evolution has been linked to the detection of relevant visual signals, including sexually selected color traits and host plant features. In other instances, variation in opsins has not been directly linked to functional or ecological differences. Overall, the array of opsin expression patterns and sensitivities across invertebrate lineages highlight the diversity of opsins in the eumetazoan ancestor and the labile nature of opsins over evolutionary time. •Invertebrates display a dramatic diversity of visual opsins.•Lineage-specific gains and losses led to this striking diversity in opsins.•Opsin diversification facilitates the detection of distinct visual signals.•The behavioral and ecological impacts of some changes in opsins are not understood.•This diversity highlights the labile nature of opsins throughout evolutionary time.
ISSN:0012-1606
1095-564X
DOI:10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.10.011