FBS Colloquia No.189Sensory Transduction Group

Diversity of animal photoreceptor proteins and their applications

Most animals use light information for vision and non-visual functions such as circadian photoentrainment and pupil responses, for which rhodopsin and their related proteins (rhodopsins) act as photoreceptors. The molecular properties of rhodopsins are largely responsible for the functional characteristics of photoreception such as color preference and photoresponse type. In addition, because animal rhodopsins are typical G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), investigations of rhodopsins as a GPCR model also have an impact on GPCR research including drug discovery. Therefore, we have investigated varied rhodopsins from many animals to understand the molecular basis for animal photoreception and its diversity and evolution. In this colloquium, I would like to focus on interesting usages of rhodopsins, that is, depth perception from image defocus in a jumping spider and optogenetic control of GPCR-signalings using animal rhodopsins.