| Avian retinal oil droplets: dietary manipulation of colour vision? | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19939843 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Avian vision is highly developed, with bird retinas containing rod and double-cone photoreceptors, plus four classes of single cones subserving tetrachromatic colour vision. Cones contain an oil droplet, rich in carotenoid pigments (except VS/ultraviolet-sensitive cones), that acts as a filter, substantially modifying light detected by the photoreceptor. Using dietary manipulations, we tested the effects of carotenoid availability on oil droplet absorbance properties in two species: Platycercus elegans and Taeniopygia guttata. Using microspectrophotometry, we determined whether manipulations affected oil droplet carotenoid concentration and whether changes would alter colour discrimination ability. In both species, increases in carotenoid concentration were found in carotenoid-supplemented birds, but only in the double cones. Magnitudes of effects of manipulations were often dependent on retinal location. The study provides, to our knowledge, the first experimental evidence of dietary intake over a short time period affecting carotenoid concentration of retinal oil droplets. Moreover, the allocation of carotenoids to the retina by both species is such that the change potentially preserves the spectral tuning of colour vision. Our study generates new insights into retinal regulation of carotenoid concentration of oil droplets, an area about which very little is known, with implications for our understanding of trade-offs in carotenoid allocation in birds. |
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Authors:
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Ben Knott; Mathew L Berg; Eric R Morgan; Katherine L Buchanan; James K Bowmaker; Andrew T D Bennett |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2009-11-25 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society Volume: 277 ISSN: 1471-2954 ISO Abbreviation: Proc. Biol. Sci. Publication Date: 2010 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-02-09 Completed Date: 2010-05-10 Revised Date: 2011-07-28 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 101245157 Medline TA: Proc Biol Sci Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 953-62 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK. ben.knott@bristol.ac.uk |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Carotenoids / administration & dosage*, blood Color Vision / physiology* Diet Dietary Supplements Female Male Microspectrophotometry Parrots / physiology* Passeriformes / physiology* Random Allocation Retina / chemistry, physiology* |
| Grant Support | |
ID/Acronym/Agency:
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B01568//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; BBS/S/H/2005/11891//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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36-88-4/Carotenoids |
| Comments/Corrections | |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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