Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2026

Electrophysiological Methods for Measuring Photopigment Levels in Drosophila Photoreceptors
Published on: June 2, 2022
Physicochemical Study of the Redox State Reversibility of Ommochromes in Insect Eyes
Marina A Yakovleva1,2, Arseny V Aybush3, Alexander A Gulin3
1Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the physicochemical properties, including changes in antioxidant and biochemical properties, of ommochromes from insect eyes undergoing biological reversibility during their redox reactions. The biological function of ommochromes in the complex ocular structures of insects and other invertebrates may be related to their antioxidant properties due to reversible redox processes. In this study, we examined the reversible redox processes of ommochromes isolated from the eyes of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and the eyes of the tobacco hawk moth (Manduca sexta). Reversible changes in the spectral and fluorescent properties, as well as the composition of ommochromes during redox reactions, were investigated using IR spectroscopy, CARS spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Nearly complete reduction of oxidized ommochromes from fly eye was demonstrated using HPLC chromatography and mass spectrometry. Changes in the redox properties of ommochromes lead to structural changes that affect their ability to exhibit antioxidant properties-reduced ommochromes exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity compared to oxidized ommochromes. The reversibility of redox transitions of ommochromes is important for regulating the spectral sensitivity and antioxidant status of the invertebrate eye.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Redox Titration: Overview
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...
Redox Equilibria: Overview

