Elsevier

Vision Research

Volume 37, Issue 14, July 1997, Pages 1867-1871
Vision Research

Expression of visual and nonvisual opsins in American chameleon

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Abstract

We previously characterized five visual opsin genes of American chameleon (Anolis carolinensis). Here we report its nonvisual opsin gene orthologous to the chicken pineal gland-specific opsin (P-opsin) gene. In the pure-cone American chameleon retina, all visual opsins including rod opsin are expressed. In both pineal and parietal eye, three visual opsins as well as P-opsin are expressed. Although opsins are detected in the pineal glands of a wide variety of vertebrates, Southern analysis suggests that the P-opsin gene is used mainly by birds and reptiles.

Keywords

P-opsin
Retina
Pineal
Parietal eye
Vertebrates

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